


You May Now Kiss The Bride...smaid?

by wildestdreams824



Category: Figure Skating RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drunken Shenanigans, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Frenemies, Wedding Fluff, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2020-06-30 06:30:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19847497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildestdreams824/pseuds/wildestdreams824
Summary: “So Andrew and I decided,” Kaitlyn says, snapping Tessa and Scott out of their side conversation, “that you two would make the perfect maid of honor and best man!”“Wait, huh?”“What do you mean, maid of honor?”ORTessa Virtue and Scott Moir are not friends, forced to be in each other’s presence due to their dating friends. However, when those friends decide to get married, they’re thrown into a new partnership of maid of honor and best man.Through the tasks of being a right hand man (and woman), Tessa and Scott have to focus on working together in order to put on the best wedding possible.And push their unwanted feelings away, too.





	1. The Announcement

**Author's Note:**

> Here is another wedding-inspired story. I love weddings and am a hopeless romantic so I’ve been thinking of this one for a while.
> 
> (I’m also in three weddings this year so RIP my wallet.)
> 
> So I hope you enjoy reading about all the stress, problems, but ultimately the best part of any wedding...the cake.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So Andrew and I decided,” Kaitlyn says, snapping Tessa and Scott out of their side conversation, “that you two would make the perfect maid of honor and best man!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this new fic that I’m writing. 
> 
> This one is completely AU so be prepared for that.

“You’re late, Moir.”

“Well, hello to you, Virtch. I’ve missed you in the week that we’ve been parted,” charms her new companion, “And I’ve got to say though, you look even more beautiful than usual.”

“ _Please_ try harder next time. You know this is an important dinner for Kaitlyn and Andrew. They emphasized it in the text.” Tessa just rolls her eyes when her plea falls upon deaf ears. She doesn’t even know why she bothers to say it anymore. It’s not like Scott will change his ways any time soon, especially for her.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are _not_ friends. One would call them frenemies if there has to be a label on their relationship. Ever since their friends started dating a year ago, they’ve been stuck with one another. Constantly trying to outwit, there really wasn’t a dull moment between them.

Now those two friends had texted them to meet up at an impromptu dinner that night, stating they had important news. Scott and Tessa stand in front of the fancy restaurant, making last minute touch-ups.

“Not all of us are teachers, Tessa. We don’t get off of work at three o’ clock,” he says back, trying to fix his hair in the restaurant’s window.

“ _For your information_ , my work extends way past the normal school hours! Also, I had to help out with yearbook stuff this afternoon,” Tessa replies, before letting out a sigh and saying, “Come here, and let me fix it.”

Scott leans his head down for her to run her fingers through it. He thinks and quirks an eyebrow. “Yearbook? That’s a boring club, Tessa. Why’d you pick that one to be in charge of?”

The two of them walk into the restaurant, scanning the room before seeing Kaitlyn wave to them from across the room. 

“It was either that or dance team because they found out I used to be a dancer. And I would prefer not to deal with catty girls after school. Teaching high school already comes with the dramatics, I don’t need anymore than necessary.”

After exchanging hugs and hellos, Scott pulls out Tessa’s chair so she can smooth out her dress and sit down gracefully. The group makes small talk about their day, updating each other on the ups and downs of their jobs and the weird occurrences during their day to day duties. 

“So it’s just been hard for them to grasp the concept that Frankenstein is the doctor and not the actual monster. It’s going to take us until the end of the book for them to figure it out.”

“I thought your class was reading _A Catcher in the Rye_? Scott asks, looking puzzled, “Didn’t you just mention something about that book?”

That is something that Tessa appreciates about Scott. She might badger him about being late or wearing better clothes to certain events, but he did always listen to her about what is going on in her classroom.

“No, we just started _Frankenstein_ on Monday. The kids seem to like it. Most of them think it’s a ‘cooler’ book to read.” Tessa airquotes and smiles, thinking about her students. Scott smiles back, knowing exactly how happy she is. 

Sometimes even Kaitlyn forgets or even blatantly shows her boredom about Tessa’s career. 

“We kind of have something big to say. That’s why we wanted to tell you in person,” Kaitlyn blurts out, obviously not being able to contain her excitement for any longer.

Tessa and Scott sit across from their friends, waiting for their news.

“We’re engaged!” They say in unison.

“Oh my gosh! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you guys!” Tessa exclaims, hugging Kaitlyn tightly from across the table.

“Wow, I didn’t see that one coming,” Scott says sarcastically, earning a sharp elbow jab in the ribs from Tessa, before continuing, “I mean congrats guys, I really am happy for you.”

He gives both of them a tight squeeze before Kaitlyn launches into the story of how Andrew proposed. They get so lost in reminiscing that they forget about Tessa and Scott there, not paying attention to what they were saying to each other.

“You knew?” Scott asks, under in breath, taking a sip of his wine to hide the question.

“I had a feeling. Kaitlyn and I had been talking about it for the past few weeks, and she’s been fretting on keeping her nails pretty, looking nice everyday, and making sure she acts surprised.”

“Was she surprised?” 

“I think she was. She at least wasn’t expecting him to propose in that way. How did you know about it?” Tessa says, closing her menu and placing it neatly to the side of her. 

“I helped Andrew pick out the ring. He didn’t tell me when he was _exactly_ going to propose, but he told me the idea. He was so adamant on making sure it was perfect for her.”

“So Andrew and I decided,” Kaitlyn says, snapping Tessa and Scott out of their side conversation, “that you two would make the perfect maid of honor and best man!”

“Wait, _huh_?” 

“What do you mean, _maid of honor_?” 

Best man and maid of honor came with _lots_ of responsibilities. Sure, the two of them were expecting to be asked to be a bridesmaid and a groomsman.

_Not the maid of honor and best man._

“Kaitlyn. Andrew. Are you really sure that you want _us_ to have those responsibilities,” Tessa asks, “That means I plan the bridal shower and the bachelorette party. Scott throws the bachelor party, too.” 

“Then, we help out with whatever wedding planning you want us to do,” Scott adds, “I don’t know the first thing about it. Tessa will be fantastic at it. I think I would make a decent groomsman, but are you sure about me?”

“ _Thanks for throwing me under the bus_ ,” thought Tessa.

Kaitlyn just grins. “I think that you two will be a great pair. Don’t worry.” 

Scott and Tessa look at each and make a silent agreement. 

“You know what? I think it sounds like a fun idea. Scott and I are going to do the best job we can,” Tessa says.

“Tess is right,” Scott agrees, “When do we start?”

“Awww, thank you, you guys! We’re so happy!” Kaitlyn says with a wide smile, “We all start tomorrow with the planning.” 

Scott and Tessa share a look again, now _slightly_ regretting their decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter so far! Thank you so much for reading it! How he proposed will be shown next time.
> 
> Also, I don’t mean to hurt any teachers’/education majors’ feelings with the comment at the beginning. I was an education major once myself so I know that people do think lowly of teachers and their hours.


	2. The Engagement Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There’s everything to worry about. The party needs to flow, food needs to go out, and the cake needs to cut at a certain time. Also, there needs to be no arguments at this party tonight.”
> 
> “I kinda like this job though. We’re like bouncers. Watching out for trouble, making sure no fights break out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the basic “duties” of a maid of honor and best man, in case you don’t know. Some do a lot for the wedding, or some just stand there and hold the rings/ bride’s flowers at the altar. 
> 
> But honestly, it’s up to the bride and groom on how many responsibilities they get.
> 
> Maid of Honor: plan bridal shower and bachelorette party, give bride a gift from all bridesmaids, helps bride get ready the day of the wedding, usually helps out with planning
> 
> Best Man: plans the bachelor party, gives gift to groom from all groomsmen, helps groom on wedding day, helps with groom’s planning when needed

Tessa knew that Kaitlyn has always wanted an extravagant wedding. No matter who she married, she wanted the long guest list, five-tiered cake, and ten bridesmaids.

Because of this, Tessa knew they were going to be dealing with a Bridezilla. 

She soon realized that it is going to be a long and challenging process. And if Kaitlyn wasn’t one of her closest friends, she doesn’t know if she could handle it. When the wedding is a whole year away and everything has already fallen apart, it’s looking downhill. 

“Be careful with those! Those are going to my family!” Kaitlyn shrieks to the wait staff passing by with cocktails. 

“Oh my gosh, the cake, there’s no roses on the cake, Tessa!” Kaitlyn sobs looking at the 

“Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn honey,” Tessa tries to soothe the stressed bride, “This is just the cake for your engagement party. No one is really going to remember this one. If you want roses on your _real_ wedding cake, it can be done.”

She makes sure that her friend relaxes before continuing, “Now, go greet your guests. The party’s starting and I don’t want you to be upset. I’ll look after everything.” 

That’s what Tessa does. Floats around the party, making sure everything is okay so that the couple doesn’t have to worry. She’s set straightening out the picture of Andrew proposing, propped up for all the guests to see. 

The secret photographer captured the best shot of Andrew kneeling down in candles laid out in a heart-shape. Kaitlyn is in shock but so happy. It’s the perfect moment, and exactly what she wanted in a proposal. 

Tessa is in her own little world until trouble comes barging into her space once more.

_Scott Moir, the glorified groomsman._

Handing her a champagne flute, she accepts it, eyeing the room for problems.

“C’mon, Tess. Let loose a little,” Scott says, noticing her stiff posture, “Everything is running smoothly. There’s no need to worry.” 

“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong,” Tessa replies, taking a sip of her champagne, “There’s _everything_ to worry about. The party needs to flow, food needs to go out, and the cake needs to cut at a certain time. Also, there needs to be _no_ arguments at this party tonight.”

“I kinda like this job though. We’re like bouncers. Watching out for trouble, making sure no fights break out.”

“Stop calling us bouncers! If Kaitlyn hears you call us that, she’s going to flip,” Tessa whispers harshly through a smile, slightly waving to a guest that she knows, “Now, I’ve got to go make my rounds, and so do you.” 

Scott snorts then whispers in her ear so no one else can hear. “Fine, I’ll go play perfect groomsman. You owe me a dance later though, maid of honor and best man duties, after all.”

She just rolls her eyes and pushes him lightly on the chest to move him out of her way as she walks by. 

“Just do your job, Moir.”

“Wouldn’t _dream_ of letting you down, Tessa Jane.”

The party goes on without a hitch. At least, according to Kaitlyn and Andrew. They’re having fun and enjoying the congratulations they’re receiving. The newlyweds don’t realize that Tessa deals with a dinner crisis in the kitchen or Scott has called Ubers for three drunk, on the brink of obnoxious guests already. 

And they will never know. 

“Excuse me, sir, but I’m unfortunately going to have to steal Ms. Virtue away from you. That is, if you’re still up for it?”

Tessa is in the middle of one of the dullest conversations of her life. She honestly couldn’t tell the first thing about stocks, but apparently Andrew’s uncle thinks she can. 

For once, she is thankful for Scott Moir and his overbearing presence in her life. 

“I did promise Scott a dance earlier this evening, Mr. Poje. It was lovely talking to you,” Tessa tells the older man with a fake apologetic tone. He smiles and returns the sentiment before the group breaks apart.

The two of them scurry away to the dance floor before Scott laughs, “You looked so bored over there. I believe I deserve a dance for all my hard work this evening, but I thought I would come save you.”

He brings one of her hands to his shoulder before sliding his on her waist. They link their other hands loosely together and spin in a soft silence.

“You look really pretty tonight, Tessa. Definitely the prettiest one here.”

She was only in a simple black dress and heels, minimum jewelry, too. She didn’t want to wear anything too fancy as not to upstage Kaitlyn. Still, the compliment is much appreciated, even from Scott.

Dressed in a simple gray button down and black slacks, he was nicely put together for the party. “You look nice, too. I would dare say even one of the best-looking ones here. We can’t tell Kaitlyn about this though.”

Scott chuckles and zips his lips. 

“It’s definitely going to be interesting for you as maid of honor, all the different bridesmaid personalities,” Scott says randomly, “You guys are going to clash.”

Tessa looks around for Kaitlyn’s other girls, “Different personalities? Please do explain your _amazing_ theory to me.”

Scott chuckles, twirling her around to avoid another couple, “Liz is the emotional bridesmaid. There’s always one that cries at everything. She’s a happy crier, don’t get me wrong. But Liz will cry at the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, the first dance, and when they actually leave the reception.”

Tessa thinks for a moment before agreeing, “You’re right. That’s definitely going to be Liz. What about Anna over there? She’s Kaitlyn’s high school friend.”

Scott stares for a second before a lightbulb goes off, “The jealous one, one of her longest friendships is getting married before her. See how she’s smiling, she probably thought she would get married before Kaitlyn.They’ve definitely talked about letting each other be their maid-of-honors. She didn’t get picked.”

“Ouch, Moir,” Tessa quietly says, “I think it was honestly location that made Kaitlyn pick me over her. Anna still lives back in their hometown.”

They spin around, and Scott dips her quickly in order to surprise her. He laughs at the glare he gets when he brings her back up. 

“Too bad you won’t be able to use your detective skills on the other bridesmaid. Her mom is making her pick a family member to replace someone who couldn’t be in the wedding.” 

“You underestimate me, T.” Scott raises an eyebrow, “She’ll bring the drama, lots of drama to the bridal party. There’s always one.”

They continue to sway, not really talking to each other. The two just enjoy the lull of no problems within the night.

“Wait a minute! You never told me what bridesmaid I was,” Tessa says.

Scott doesn’t answer her for a second, instead just squeezes the hand he’s holding a little tighter.

“I don’t know yet. I’m still trying to figure you out.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> I was going to have Tessa and Scott be more heavily involved in helping plan the wedding. It’s not always like that, but for Kaitlyn as a Bridezilla, she would definitely want her MOH involved.


	3. Bridal Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t want her in the wedding. I didn’t even want to invite her,” Kaitlyn mumbles to Tessa, “She’s just some second cousin that my mom said I could use as a filler bridesmaid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone I hope you enjoy this chapter!

_Good conclusion paragraph._

_Needs more evidence._

_Great thesis statement!_

Tessa quickly reads one of her student’s papers during her lunch break and winces as she eyes the giant stack of them next to her.

She’s been so caught up in helping Kaitlyn that she’s gotten behind in grading her students’ essays. With first quarter grades due in a week, it’s crunch time for all the teachers.

Her phone buzzes with a text from Kaitlyn: _Call me as soon as you can._

Tessa figures she should call her back now since it’s both the women’s lunch hours.

“Is everything okay?” Tessa asks quickly, a little panicked. Kaitlyn never usually calls in the middle of the day, instead waiting until she leaves her workplace.

“My mother found me another bridesmaid. You know, since Sarah can’t be in it anymore.” Tessa can hear the distaste in her voice.

“Who is it?” Tessa asks, trying to somewhat pay attention to the conversation and do work at the same time.

“Her name’s Layla. She’s my second cousin on my mom’s side. We haven’t talked to each other in over _five_ years.”

“I don’t want her in the wedding. I didn’t even want to invite her,” Kaitlyn mumbles to Tessa, “She’s just some second cousin that my mom said I could use as a filler bridesmaid.”

She can understand the reasoning behind Kaitlyn’s dilemma. But having this cousin stand in her wedding will probably relieve some family tension in the wedding process. At least, Kaitlyn’s mother sees it that way, Kaitlyn herself hasn’t realized it yet. 

Tessa shakes her head, “Kaitlyn, it will be fine. I’m sure she’s a nice girl that will be a lot of fun at all the parties. She’ll be a great bridesmaid!”

The bride scoffs at her optimism, “She cheated on her fiancé. They dated for all four years of university, and she fucked her lab partner the whole last year. He didn’t find out until three months after he proposed.”

Tessa sits there stunned at what she just heard. She was cheated on during a long relationship but nothing to that extent.

Kaitlyn continues to accuse, “Layla and the other guy were still having the affair when her fiancé had proposed, and my cousin _still_ said yes. Why would I want someone like that in my bridal party?”

Tessa is quiet for a moment before asking, “What happened to her fiancé?”

Kaitlyn just shrugs. “Don’t know, my mom never told me his name. I hope he’s doing okay though, at least found something better than her.” 

Once she soothes Kaitlyn over the situation, they end the phone call, making a promise to talk tomorrow.

Once the lunch bell rings, Tessa runs her hands over her face and wants to scream.

 _Scott was right. There really is going to be a dramatic bridesmaid._

Scott smoothly glides around the rink when he hears the marching of heeled boots. 

“ _Scott Moir! You have some explaining to do!_ ”

His lips pull into a smirk as he slowly turns around to face a seething Tessa Virtue

“Hello, dear friend. What do I owe this surprise visit for?” 

Tessa Virtue, the woman who came storming into his life and flipped it upside down. When one of his college buddies found the love of his life, apparently she was a package deal, dragging her best friend along with her. And Tessa isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, now close friends with the others in their friend group.

Scott and Tessa simply try and tolerate each other at the weekly happy hour hangouts for the six of them.

“Really? I don’t have time for your games,” Tessa sighs, holding up two pieces of paper, “Two of your skaters decided to write some inappropriate matter on their informational essays, quoting _you_ as their resource.”

Scott tries to hold in a laugh while she reads his skaters’ answers off the paper. He has mentioned a few times that he knew their teacher. This apparently gives the kids more reason to complain to him about the amount of work she gives them. 

“This isn’t funny! They can fail my class if this keeps happening, Moir. And if it does, they can’t skate,” Tessa says, glaring at him with her hands on her hips, “This essay is a big grade and they shouldn’t be quoting their _coach_ for it.”

“C’mon, T, it is kinda funny. I’ll talk to them and reprimand them for writing inappropriate things.”

Tessa’s shoulders slightly relax, “Please do, I’m sure they would rather hear it from you than their parents. That’s why I came here.”

“Well, you also got the chance to yell at me.”

There is a hint of a smile on her lips as Tessa replies, “That’s just the added bonus. I’ll see you soon. Don’t forget about your tux fitting with Patrick and the rest of the groomsmen on Saturday.”

She goes to walk out the door before he calls out to her, “T, why don’t you come skate with me?”

Looking back to her (slight) arch-nemesis, Scott continues, “You need the break. Dealing with Kaitlyn’s antics, my skaters in class, life in general...” he trails off and over-exaggerates his motioning for her to come over.

Tessa smiles and says, “Why not? Just don’t push me down, Moir.”

Scott chuckles and pulls her onto the ice once she has her skates on, “Now, Tessa Jane, why would I ever do that? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Dress Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then he wasn’t the guy for you. You’ll find yours soon though.” Layla gives her a big smile for this.
> 
> Gosh, why is it so hard to hate her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this one is better than last chapter! I feel better about this one so hopefully you do too!

“ _Ahhhh_! I’m so excited for this! And everyone is here, too!” Kaitlyn was able to gather all of her bridesmaids for wedding dress shopping. Her wedding dreams are coming true, one day at a time. 

“Now, I want you guys to be completely honest with me. If something doesn’t look good, make sure you say something.”

Anna hides a laugh, pretending to cough instead. They all know not to do that. Because if that happens, Kaitlyn will never find a dress and they will have to travel to ten more shops.

“Of course, you know that we are here to help you find the perfect dress,” Anna reassures, still trying not to smile too hard. Tessa has been glad to have Anna involved with the wedding. She’s become a friend with her and Liz, and she’s really enjoyed spending time with her.

_Even if she was still upset it wasn’t her that is the one getting married._

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry that I’m late everyone!” a voice carries from the front of the store. 

There stands a petite girl dressed in a powder blue coat and dark jeans. With long blonde hair and big, warm brown eyes, she looks nothing like the horrendous person that she was made out to be.

_Layla, the cheating cousin._

Tessa wants to give this girl a clean slate, a fresh start. After all, they’ve never met before so she shouldn’t form a true opinion until she fully meets her. 

“I’m Layla, Kaitlyn’s cousin,” she smiles and gives everyone a hug before sitting down next to Anna, “It’s so nice to finally meet you. Now I know Anna already, but I haven’t gotten the chance to meet the two of you.”

They quickly make their introductions, before the consultant comes up to them and offers for them to look around the store.

The women scatter around the store to find dresses, all picking out different styles and textures. Tessa is eyeballing one that is more her style when Kaitlyn pulls her aside for a moment.

“Layla mentioned that she knew Andrew vaguely in university,” Kaitlyn says with a smile, “that they were acquaintances but lost touch once they graduated. I’m actually relieved about that, Tess. She’ll know Andrew and be on good terms with him before we even start diving into all the real planning.” 

“I’m glad it’s all working out, Kaitlyn. Now, let’s not focus on that and enjoy being here with everyone.”

As the dresses keep piling up, the poor consultant brings them to the dressing room and asks Kaitlyn to follow her. The other three bridesmaids go and sit down and Tessa keeps looking.

She can’t help but run her fingers over the beaded white dresses, imagining herself wearing one. 

In her past relationships, Tessa only considered marriage with one man, her longest-lasting relationship. The rest of them were nice, just not enough for her to want to say “until death do we part”.

Picking out one that she loves, Tessa is a little sad. Just because she has no idea who her groom is, doesn’t mean Tessa doesn’t think about her own wedding from time to time. 

“Hey, Tessa! Come see!” one of the girls calls from the sofa. Kaitlyn is posing on the stand in an ivory ball gown, the top completely embezzled in crystals.

It fit her so well, accentuating her but not overtaking how beautiful she is. It’s just her style, too. The ball gown is eye catching and extravagant. 

“Oh, Kaitlyn! You look stunning!”

“This is the best one! I don’t think you need to try anything else.”

“This is you! This is exactly what you wanted!”

The bridesmaids are all in agreement. Kaitlyn tries it on with a veil and loves it. Putting it at her top. However, she decides on trying on a different dress style just to make sure.

When she walks out and sees everyone’s faces. It’s a no-go. 

The ball gown is her wedding dress.

While Kaitlyn is changing back into her everyday clothes, the four bridesmaids gossip about their own relationships.

Liz updated Layla that she is married to Patrick, one of the other groomsmen. They started dating their second semester of law school, and got married a year after they graduated.

“He’s also known by Chiddy, as the boys like to call him,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“You and Patrick are such a cute couple, Liz. Gosh, I hope I’ll be in a couple as cute as you two one day,” Anna moans.

_Cue the jealous bridesmaid._

_“_ What about you, Tessa? Are you going to have a plus one for the wedding?” Layla questions.

Tessa shakes her head, “Oh no, it’s been a while for me. I’m just focusing on work for now.”

Layla nods along, “I understand. You’ll find someone though, you’re too good of a person.” 

Being a nosy person, Tessa wants to know what Layla will say. “I’m sure you’ll have a date though. You’re so outgoing!”

The new bridesmaid shakes her head, “No, I don’t have anyone at the moment. My biggest relationship I had was my fiancé right after university. We ended the engagement soon after though.”

Tessa tried to put on her most sympathetic face. “Oh, I’m so sorry. That must have been such a hard time for you.”

“It was, but it was a mutual decision between us. In the end, we realized that what we had was a great relationship for college kids. We just wanted different things.”

_Yeah, you wanted a different guy and broke your fiancé’s heart._

“Then he wasn’t the guy for you. You’ll find yours soon though.” Layla gives her a big smile for this.

_Gosh, why is it so hard to hate her._

Tessa _does not_ mention that Kaitlyn told her about the whole cheating scandal. 

We’re all going to the bar after this for happy hour. Are you going to come with us, Layla?” Tessa offers.

“Oh, that would be great. We can all hang out without wedding stuff hanging over our heads,” Layla grabs her coat and heads to the door, “I’ll meet you guys there?” 

The other girls nod in agreement before splitting up to drive to the bar. When they get there, Andrew is already waiting for them with drinks while Patrick is over talking to another bar regular. “Hey ladies! How was shopping?”

They all greet him before Anna and Kaitlyn go to the bathroom quickly before the place gets too crowded. 

“Where’s Scott?” Tessa asks Andrew while scanning around the bar, trying to see if he’s by the darts or the pool table.

Andrew laughs, “Miss him already, Tess? Nah, he’s just going to be a little late tonight, got caught up at the rink. Now, how’s this new bridesmaid. Recently, anytime Kaitlyn tried to talk to me about bridesmaids I just tune her out. I couldn’t tell you one thing about it.”

Tessa shoves his arm and he laughs, “So, update me on this girl so I can fool my fiancée into thinking I’ve been listening to all this wedding stuff.” 

Tessa sarcastically sighs, “Well, I guess I’ll help you out this _once_. She’s a super nice girl, really helped out with shopping for dresses. She knows yo- Oh look! There’s Layla now!”

Tessa waves to the woman walking in.

When Andrew turns his head to see who exactly she’s waving to, his whole face pales.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! 
> 
> And the dress I imagined Kaitlyn to wear is a big, poofy ball gown, what someone would call a “princess dress”. She’s an over-the-top bride, so she’s going to need an over-the-top dress.


	5. Happy Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He’s completely plastered. I mean I’ve seen him drunk before but never on a regular night out like this,” Tessa mentions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s when Layla starts living up to her title as the “dramatic bridesmaid”.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for reading it!

“Andrew, it’s been so long! How have you been?” Layla throws her arms around him. She acts as if she is seeing her long-lost friend after years apart.

Andrew is stiff, not returning her sentiment or gesture. “What are you doing here, Layla?”

Looking bewildered, Layla shakes her head. “I’m standing in your wedding. Didn’t you know?” 

“Andrew stays out of bridesmaid stuff,” Tessa tried to calm the situation, still not understanding the reason behind the animosity. “Layla is Kaitlyn’s cousin. She’s going to be a bridesmaid.”

The groom nods slowly, his lips pressed together tightly. “Well, it’s _fantastic_ to meet one of my fiancée’s family members. I’m going to find Chiddy.”

Layla’s eyes light up, “Oh I remember Patrick! Tell him hello for me!” 

Andrew just walks off without a word. Tessa finds it strange because she’s never seen him act this rudely before. 

“Kaitlyn mentioned briefly that you knew Andrew. You know Patrick, too?” Tess turns and asks Layla, trying to tread waters carefully.

The other woman still has a bright smile, despite the situation. “I do! I should have realized that he would be in the wedding with how close they were. I knew Patrick from one of my classes.”

“You must at least know _of_ Scott Moir then. Those three are like the Three Musketeers.”

Andrew returns to the table with Patrick quick on his heels. He shares a similar look as Andrew’s from a few minutes ago, angry but trying not to show how much.

“Layla, _what a surprise_ ,” Patrick drawls, staring her down, “Funny seeing you after so long.”

“We’ll have so much time to catch up,” Layla replies nonchalantly, taking a sip of her drink, “It will be such a good time for us all to be together again.”

Tessa is starting to catch on that they are a lot closer than Layla let on in the beginning. She doesn’t want to pry too much right in the middle of an argument though.

“So what class were you guys in together?” she asks as cheerfully as the situation will allow, “I met Kaitlyn through sitting next to each other in English class.”

“Oh, that’s how you told everyone how we met, Layla,” Patrick chimes in, “They’ll never guess the real reason.”

Just then, the last member of their group finally arrives to the bar. 

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late! Traffic was a bi-,” Scott’s usual smile drops as he sees their guest.

“Hey, Scott! It’s so good to see you!” Layla hops up from the chair and runs to give him a tight hug.

Scott doesn’t say anything back, instead just stands there with shock written on his face. 

Tessa’s eyes widen when she finally realizes what’s going on.

“What, aren’t you happy to see me?” She pouts, looking up to him, “It’s been forever since we’ve seen each other.”

_Oh my gosh, how can I be this stupid. Of course it’s Scott. How could she ever do something like that to him?_

“Yeah, and there’s a reason for that, too.” Scott says coldly, shaking her off and heading to the bar. They just watch him order two beers at one time and sit alone.

It’sbeen thirty minutes and no one can get Scott to join the group. Layla animatedly keeps the conversation going, and everyone else plays along like nothing between her and one of their closest friends ever happened. 

“I’ll go try and talk to him,” Tessa whispers to Kaitlyn. Others have tried, but haven’t gotten through much to the still pretty sober Scott.

“Hey, Scott,” Tessa places her hand lightly on his shoulder. “How are you doing over here? We miss you when you’re not with the whole group.”

Scott is properly drunk now and still downing shots. “Really, Tess? How do you think I’m doing? My ex fiancé is here out of the blue who I had no idea is related to one of my friends.”

Tessa slides into the seat next to him and says, “You can’t do anything about that. She was just never around during your relationship.”

He rolls his eyes and snaps, “No shit, Sherlock. Why are you even over here? You’re the last person who would be able to help me.”

Tessa sits there with a hurt look on her face. Sure, the two of them picked at each and teased but they never went too far. 

Never like this.

“Damn, I’m so sorry, T. Really, I didn’t mean it.” 

“My name is Tessa,” she says, with a slight waver in her voice, “And you did mean it, Moir.”

Kaitlyn sees her visibly upset when she returns and goes to say something. Tessa just waves her off. She doesn’t want to deal with the situation. 

Layla says her goodbyes to the group and Kaitlyn goes to walk her to her car, trying to be a good family member and keep the peace.

Once she is out of earshot, Liz says, “I never met Layla. I started dating Patrick when we were in law school. I had heard briefly of what happened but I never pressed because I didn’t want Scott to not like me if I got too nosy. That’s why I couldn’t even remember her name.”

Patrick nods. “It’s not that it’s a taboo subject. It’s just that we don’t bring it up because of how it was his first major relationship. And in the end, Layla told Scott that she never felt as strongly as he loved her.”

Andrew chimes in, “It’s been years, and it still hurts him. She tried to weasel her way back into his life about five years ago. When they planned to meet, she never showed, just stood him up and left him heartbroken again.”

“She got his hopes up again,” Tessa interprets.

Andrew nods. “Yeah, there was another girl that I think he fell in love with after her. That relationship fizzled out though. I’m sure he’ll find a girl one day. He just needs to get his head straight.”

It’s hard getting cheated on, but to be told all of that and to get stood up, Tessa still hurts for him. 

“Hey, Chiddy! I need your help!” This is the first time that Scott’s made contact with them in a while so Patrick is definitely willing to go over there and talk to them.

Scott whispers something in his ear, and Patrick’s face winds up in confusion them acceptance. Downing two shots, Patrick follows Scott up to the karaoke stage.

“Oh my gosh, I am living for this,” Liz says, laughing at her husband, who is obviously relieved that the bar had cleared out. 

“This goes out to the best teacher ever. You’re sexy, smart, and _just so damn fine_ , Virtch,” Scott points a finger at her.

“Everybody screamed, when I kissed the teacher! And they must have thought they dreamed, when I kissed the teacher!” Scott and Chiddy shimmy as they karaoke along to ABBA. 

“ _You have got to be shitting me_ ,” Tessa says slowly.

Andrew and Liz turn to her with questionable stares. She quickly shakes her head.

“Scott and I...we never...this looks really bad, doesn’t it?” She asks, running her hands over her face.

“Oh, you are definitely right, Tessa. This looks _so_ bad. Did you two finally do it?” Andrew smirks, taking a sip of his beer.

Is there sexual tension between the two of them?

 _Absolutely_. Has been since the day they met.

Andrew and Patrick said before they need to have sex once and get it over with. Kaitlyn and Liz begged her to go on a date with Scott just once to see if there was a chance between them.

Neither situation happened, and Tessa and Scott stay their bickering selves.

“No, and it is never going to happen,” Tessa replies shortly, rolling her eyes when he wiggles his eyebrows at her.

Liz just smirks and shrugs her shoulders. “Never say never, Tess. Scott is one of the best guys we know.”

Tessa thinks back to all of what Scott and the others have told her about his relationships. Scott’s definitely not a player. In fact, far from it. He treated girls nicely and was definitely always willing to look for romance.

“He’s completely plastered. I mean I’ve seen him drunk before but never on a regular night out like this,” Tessa mentions.

“ _Tessa, you’re not listening!_ ” Scott shouts to her, still dancing around on the stage, “ _I’m trying to serenade you!_ ”

Tessa’s cheeks burn red while Andrew and Liz laugh. 

“ _One of these days, gonna tell her I dream of her every night, one of these days, gonna show her I care, gonna teach her a lesson alright!”_ Scott belts at the top of his lungs. Liz covers her mouth, trying not to have her laughter ruin her video recording the finale. 

“I swear, he’s going to get an earful after this,” Tessa mumbles, mostly to herself.

“ _I was in the seventh heaven!_ ” Scott starts off.

“ _When I kissed the teacher!_ ” Both Patrick and Scott finish their grand performance with a bow. 

They exit the stage to cheers from Kaitlyn, claps from Liz, and whistles from Andrew.

The bartender who was told to throw them off the stage was more impressed than Tessa, both greeting them with eye rolls and slow claps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the rumors are true, Scott was Layla’s fiancé! Unfortunately, nobody knew she was related to Kaitlyn when Andrew started dating her. 
> 
> By the way, the song that Scott and Patrick are singing is “When I Kissed the Teacher” by ABBA. Usually they don’t have that certain ABBA song when you karaoke, but I thought it was fitting.


	6. Bestiest of Pals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You really annoy the shit out of me most of the time. Like really irk me, but you know, you still mean a lot to me. Even if I don’t show it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry this is a lot later than I expected. I lost everything from the chapter so I just wanted to give up on it. But, I decided to rewrite it so that I can continue it.

“He lives closest to me,” Tessa explains, “You deal with drunk Patrick, and you deal with overwhelmed Kaitlyn. I can drop off a drunk Scott.”

Tessa, Andrew, and Liz are making arrangements on how to get home, none of the adults remembering the last time they actually shut down a bar.

“Hey, babe!” Patrick shouts, “Did you like our singing?”

Liz snorts,“Let’s get you some water,” she then turns to her other friends, “I’ll call you tomorrow to get more information.” 

Andrew and Tessa nod, say goodbye to each other, and then head to their respective cars.

“He’ll be like a big puppy dog, Tess,” Andrew says with a smile, “just drop him on the sofa!” 

Tessa just grabs Scott’s arm and pulls him to her car. Andrew is having too much fun with this.

“C‘mon, Moir. You’re riding with me!” 

The two ride in silence for silence for about five minutes with Tessa stewing and Scott swaying back and forth, listening to the music without a care in the world. 

Finally, she snaps.

“Did you honestly think I would enjoy that show of yours! What were you thinking, Moir! You completely _embarrassed_ me up there!”

Scott gives her a strange look, wondering why Tessa was giving him this reaction. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I did think you would enjoy my performance! I sang _my heart and soul_ out to you.”

They arrive at a red light, so Tessa just turns to him with her mouth gaping open.

“You cannot be serious.”

“Yes, I am! And it hurts my feelings that you aren’t taking my apology seriously!”

The thirty year-old man pouts in the passenger seats, glaring at the cars next to them.

Tessa tries to think of a response before just deciding to play along. “I don’t appreciate the way you went about apologizing to me. I’m glad you realized you had to, but we should’ve talked about it when you were completely sober.”

That answer seems to satisfy him. The pair ride in silence for ten more minutes before Scott can’t help but open his mouth again. 

“Just saying, my skaters hated reading _The Catcher in the Rye_. I don’t blame them. That book really is boring,” Scott says randomly.

“Well, guess what? They’re just going to have to suck it up!” Tessa snaps, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.

“No, you’re the cool teacher. They all like you. Apparently they’re all very invested in your love life though, Abby told me that the class is trying to set you up with the History teacher.”

Rolling her eyes at the teenagers’ antics, Tessa sighs. This isn’t the first time her students have inquired on the fact that she is single.

“Paul? He’s one of the most boring people I’ve ever met. I’d rather watch paint dry than go on a date with him,” Tessa snarks. 

“I think you deserve way better than a boring History teacher, T,” Scott says, before resting his head on the window and napping the rest of the way there. 

“You’re actually right on that. I do deserve better than him.”

By the time Tessa actually gets Scott to his apartment, he’s a blubbering, emotional mess. Tessa tries to unlock the door and push a crying Scott into the apartment without much of a scene to wake the neighbors.

“She broke my heart, T,” Scott sniffles, “What did I do wrong?”

He sits on the couch with his head in his hands. From the kitchen, Tessa calls out, “Let’s just get you to bed, okay? Look, I want you to take this medicine and drink some water.”

She comes to sit by him on the couch and places the pills and glass on the coffee table.

“Why wasn’t I good enough for her, Tess?” The croak in his voice makes Tessa’s heart drop.

Tessa sighs and grabs his hand, trying to get his attention. “Scott, I can’t really answer any questions involving this. I can only try and help you feel better. Just know that you’re a great guy and she’s the one who missed out on being with you.” 

Scott gives her a heavy hug, leaning all of his body weight on her, “You’re one of my bestiest pals, Tess. Am I one of your bestiest pals?”

“Sure, you’re one of my bestiest pals. Now take the medicine.”

He throws the pills back with a heavy hand and a long drink of water. After, the two just sit in silence once again,

“You really annoy the shit out of me most of the time. Like really irk me, but you know, you still mean a lot to me. Even if I don’t show it.”

_Well, we almost got there. Almost a real compliment._

_“Trust me,_ the feeling is mutual. You piss me off even more.”

“Now that Kaitlyn and Andrew are getting married, they’re stuck together,” he gasps with realization, “Which means we’re stuck together! Virtch, do you know what this means?”

She looks at Scott strangely for probably the hundredth time that night. “Please, _enlighten_ me once again with your ideas.”

“We’re bestiest of pals forever. It’s just how it’s going to happen.”

Tessa rolls her eyes and leads him to his bedroom. They’ve all been to Scott’s apartment numerous times so she’s comfortable with the layout. 

Making sure he gets into bed, she goes and stands by him. “Get some sleep, Moir. I’ll call you tomorrow to come by and drive you to your car.”

She gets a sleepy smile but mumbled “Thank you” before Scott finally falls asleep. 

Tessa looks at the broken man, finally at ease with all of his emotions. Holding his hand in hers once again, she tries to wish all the pain away from her friend. 

“I really hope you don’t remember any of this tomorrow, Scott,” Tessa whispers, “I hope you wake up with a clear mind, forgetting she even spoke to you. I want this to be a great experience for all of us, and you’ve been such an amazing partner so far.”

She stops for a minute before continuing, “I couldn’t do this whole mess without you. I wouldn’t want to.”

She squeezes his hand lightly and pushes the hair out of his eyes.

The light squeeze back was probably a figment of her imagination. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! I will be revealing soon about Scott and Layla’s relationship so stay tuned for that!


	7. Bridal Shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before he can get a word in, Tessa grabs it quickly and sets it up nicely on the table. “I could honestly kiss you right now! You got here just in time!” 
> 
> Scott chuckles again before saying, “Could you repeat that? I’d like to get a recording of it so whenever you snap at me, I can replay it for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Usually it’s the maid of honor’s duty to host the bridal shower and the other bridesmaids will help out with some of the planning or things that go along with it.

* * *

With only five months until the wedding, it seems like Tessa has surpassed Kaitlyn on the crazy scale.

And that is a feat in itself for the Bridezilla.

Trying to plan the perfect bridal shower has been a stressful affair, but she’s been trying her best to get it right for Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn had been subtly dropping hints on what she wanted for the party. 

Thankfully, the other bridesmaids came early to help. With only an hour left until the party, they are scrambling to get everything perfect to impress not only the bride, but the bride and groom’s mothers. 

There was still one other person that’s missing though.

“Okay, so we have Liz hanging those decorations, and Anna is putting up those balloons,” Tessa mumbles to herself, “We still have to put out the games, the presents, the food, the drinks, _the cake_?”

_Where’s the cake?_

_Where’s Layla?_

Speaking of the devil, the last bridesmaid walks through the door at that moment.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry I’m late! Traffic was crazy!” Layla makes an excuse, dropping her present on the table and eyeing the room, “WOW, the room look great!” 

Not wanting to start anything, Tessa just says, “No problem, we’re just glad you were able to get here before everyone else did. Just set the cake up on that table in the front so the guests can see it when they walk in.”

As soon as Tessa turns to walk away, Layla says, “Oh, I was supposed to go pick that up?” 

Tessa stops in her tracks, her back turned to Layla. Everyone could probably see the steam coming from her ears because _now she was mad_. 

Last night, Tessa had texted all the bridesmaids to confirm that they would pick up one of the orders for the party. Anna said she would pick up the food on the way over from their hometown, Liz offered to pick up the flowers in heavy traffic, and Layla said it was no problem to pick up the cake.

But now the cake is not on the premises. 

She turns around slowly. “You didn’t pick up the cake?”

Layla smiles and says, “I thought it was the maid of honor’s job to throw the bridal shower? I mean I already drove all this way to come.”

Tessa took a deep breath, trying not let her blood boil too much. “Yes, it is, but usually bridesmaids help out a little. Anna drove here, too. She still helped decorate and picked up food from the caterers. Liz brought the flowers and also helped decorate. I couldn’t do everything by myself.” 

Before Layla could respond, Tessa interrupts, “Just go find something to help with, Layla. I’ll try and figure out a way to get it here in time.”

The other bridesmaid shrugs and walks to go “help” while Tessa walks in the back room to try and not cry in frustration at not being able to handle the situation. 

So she calls the one person who can help her out of this, “Scott, I have a wedding emergency and I really need your help.”

About an hour later, right before Kaitlyn is due to arrive, Scott walks through the door with Tessa’s Holy Grail.

She runs up and hugs him tightly, “Oh my gosh! I love you, I love you, Scott Moir!”

Scott stiffens for a moment before laughing and wrapping one arm around her and trying to hold the cake with the other.

Before he can get a word in, Tessa grabs it quickly and sets it up nicely on the table. “I could honestly kiss you right now! You got here just in time!” 

Scott chuckles again before saying, “Could you repeat that? I’d like to get a recording of it so whenever you yell at me, I can replay it for you.” 

Tessa rolls her eyes, and glares back at him. “Don’t get your hopes up, Moir. You wish that would actually happen.”

He gives her a big smile before replying, “Ah, there’s the Tessa Virtue I know!”

She can’t help but laugh at his comment.

Red creeps up Scott’s neck. “Seriously, it’s the least I could do after...” 

Months later and Scott still feels the need to apologize for his “stunt”, as he likes to call it. Everyone still teases him (and Patrick for going along with it) about his performance. But Tessa forgave him days afterwards, even if Scott still sent her coffee and “I’m Sorry” cards. 

“For the _thousandth_ time, I forgive you. Besides, I think bringing this means I owe you one now.” 

“Let’s call it even. C’mon, I’ll help you get the rest of the food ready while the others let the guests in.” People had started to arrive and they had only gotten the drinks completely set up. There were so many people expected at this party that it has taken so long for them to do anything.

“I think I might _actually_ fall in love with you, Scott Moir.” Tessa’s shoulders relax as they head to the back room to keep setting everything up. 

“How is it going so far? I saw Kaitlyn and Andrew’s moms. They both seem happy with how it’s looking!” He tries to offer some encouragement to an obviously already exhausted hostess.

Tessa stops what she’s doing and deadpan stares at him. 

“I wouldn’t even ask that if I were you. Nothing has gone right yet. Half the balloons popped, we haven’t gotten anything ready, I got into a fight with Layla...” Tessa trails off, massaging her temples.

Before Scott can reply, they hear a booming voice come from the hallway.

“Tessa! Tessa! Where are you?” Mrs. Poje calls out for her, “Kaitlyn is asking for you and...Scott! Oh I’ve missed you so much! How are you sweetie!”

The tall woman gives him a tight squeeze, nearly crushing his ribs as he squeaks out, “Mrs. Poje, it’s been so long! What has it been, two months?”

The mother of the groom nods. “I believe so. I haven’t seen you and Patrick in _ages_. Now, what are you doing here? Tessa didn’t tell me that you would be attending.”

Tessa tries to jump in with an excuse, “Well, I needed to...”

“We’re already starting to plan the bachelor and bachelorette parties!” Scott suddenly blurts out, “You know us, Mrs. Poje, we just want everything perfect for Andrew and Kaitlyn.”

Going along with that, Tessa adds, “Yes! I had a question for him about where we would meet up with the groomsmen so that we can have everything in order before the big day!” 

“Oh, that’s so lovely of you two to take such good care of them,” the older woman beams, “I’m going to greet the other guests now and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to stick around for this party, Scott.”

He gives her a dazzling smile, “I wouldn’t want to intrude on everyone’s fun.”

Once she’s gone, the two of them let out a sigh of relief. “You should probably sneak out before she actually makes you stay,” Tessa says, fixing the last tray of food, “Thanks again for all of your help, Scott. I really don’t know what I would have done without you.”

Scott smiles and gives her a hug, “Hey, it’s no problem, Virtch. Just save me a petit four, would you?”

“Absolutely not.” Scott laughs and heads out the door with a quick wave to Kaitlyn and everyone he knows.

“Tessa, c’mon! Kaitlyn is about to open her presents!” Liz calls from the other room.

“Alright, I’m coming! Just let me get something real quick!” Getting all of the desserts out, she takes one petit four and puts it on side.

Just for safe keeping.

Soon after, she steps out to join the party and resume her duty as maid of honor and hostess. 

Sneaking a glance at Layla from across the room, she can’t help but send a petty glare.

_The battle lines are drawn now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it!


	8. Late Night Assistant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You want to know something, Virtch?” Scott says, taking another sip from the wine bottle before passing it to her, “I’d marry you in a heartbeat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks so much for reading!

“Scott! Tessa! You’re not going to believe what happened!” Kaitlyn comes running into her kitchen at full speed, “The bakery shut down! We’re not going to get our cake!”

Bursting into tears, Kaitlyn clings onto Tessa as she holds onto her friend. Sighing, she thinks, “This is the last thing I need.”

Kaitlyn has called over Scott and Tessa to her house for a rundown on all things bridesmaid and groomsman. That includes tuxes, dresses, shoes, bouquets, ties. If it involves them, it is discussed.

The problem is that Kaitlyn has forgotten that Tessa and Scott work full-time jobs and can’t put as much effort into the wedding as she does. But here they are anyway, trying to pay attention to the dilemma at hand.

“Tessa, I need you to go pick up these cake samples from another bakery across town!” The maid of honor sighs, but nods in agreement for the task, “Good! They close at five, so I need you to hurry!” 

Scott looks at her miserable face. As much as she loves Kaitlyn, it’s the beginning of the school year and Tessa is already getting swamped with work. Trying to get to know new students and their personalities, how they learn, it’s all so stressful. Helping out with the wedding isn’t making anything easier on her.

“Kaitlyn, stop it. Everything is going to be fine and we will get this under control. Do you understand?” Scott reprimands harshly, shooting a glare at the bride. Kaitlyn immediately closes her mouth in shock. This is probably the first time that Scott has ever yelled at her. The two of them always got along, Scott taking an instant liking to her when she started dating Andrew. Even when Tessa joined their group, he never got mad at Kaitlyn for bringing her around.

“I’ll go pick up the samples. Let Tessa go home and start her work.”

Tessa gives him a small smile over Kaitlyn’s shoulder in appreciation.

Kaitlyn agrees with that (not like she has a choice honestly) and goes to take a nap, hopefully to relieve some of the stress. Scott says, “You sure you’ll be able to get everything done now, Virtch?”

Tessa replies, “Hopefully, Thank you though, Scott. I really do appreciate it.”

Later that night, she’s finally settled in when she hears a knock on her door. Slowly opening it, she sees Scott standing there with a bottle of wine and Chinese takeout.

“Hey, I thought you might need this after today. Figured you would forget about dinner and go straight into grading.”

Tessa had forgotten to eat dinner. Instead, jumping straight into the shower and throwing on the most comfortable clothes she could find before taking a seat on the couch.

“I really do owe you one, Moir,” she says, motioning her head towards the couch, “C’mon, we’ve got a long night of puberty and bullshit answers.”

“Ah, just what I look forward to on a Saturday night, Virtch. But as long as I get to spend it with you.”

They’re neck deep in papers before Scott pipes up, “I know that everyone has been sort of whispering bits and pieces to you about it.”

Tessa stops grading and looks to him. She thinks for a minute but decides to be honest, “Yeah, I’ve heard a little bit of what happened between you and Layla. I figured if you wanted me to know the whole story then you would be the one needed to say it.”

Scott agrees with her reasoning.

“Layla was one of the most intelligent women I knew,” Scott says softly, “I could listen to her for hours going on and on about that research project they were doing in class. Never understood it, but always wanted to hear it. I was the first guy to ask her out, and she said yes. We were together and seemed pretty happy at least from my point of view. 

“But she met someone else?” Tessa questions softly.

Scott nods his head. “She was a research assistant for a project the university was doing. She and this other guy were working alongside the professor on it. Well, apparently long hours in the lab talking about science or debating on who was the smartest out of the two led to an affair.”

“And I think that’s why she left me. She got comfortable around me but didn’t want to admit to the fact that what she felt for me at eighteen was long gone. Her parents and friends loved me, I was charismatic, and I guess I seemed like a good package deal for a while. That is, until she just couldn’t fake it anymore.”

“No one else knows this,” Scott looks straight at Tessa with serious eyes, “I couldn’t tell Andrew and Chiddy this because I knew they hated her after what went down. And...”

“Just in case she ever came back, you didn’t want them to stop you,” Tessa says.

Scott shrugs slightly, “They’re my best friends. I know they just want what’s best for me out of this whole situation and at the time...I thought it would make it worse. Well, it happened and didn’t work out in my favor.”

_Knew that, too, but not going to mention it._

“Layla told me that she said yes out of pity. Said that she didn’t want to disappoint anyone and was going to go through with it for a little while and still have that guy on the side before going to him after we divorced.”

“Oh, Scott,” Tessa drops the pen she is holding before pulling him into a tight hug. Burying his nose into her neck, they stay in that position for awhile before she starts again, “You don’t deserve any of that. You’re one of the kindest people I know. Yes, I will say that you kind of are obnoxious but you always have everyone’s best intentions in mind. I’ve never met a more loyal friend to anyone than you.”

Dragging her back into a hug, Scott mumbles into her hair, “Thanks, Tess. But you’re the one who’s the great friend. The annoying one, but amazing, too.” 

“I got cheated on, too.” Scott looks up from his stack of quizzes with a puzzled look.

Before Tessa can continue her story, Scott interrupts, “T, you don’t have to tell me. Just because I told you about Layla doesn’t mean you have to explain what happened to you.”

She shakes her head. “No, I want you to know. It’s a typical story though. He started staying later at work, canceling dates, saw a text late at night. A hot shot businessman and the teacher were definitely not a perfect match.”

“God, I’m sorry, Tess. You shouldn’t have to go through something like that.” Scott gives her a genuine, sympathetic look, “Really, he didn’t deserve for you to be in his life.” 

Tessa cracks a slight smile, “We were together for three and a half years. Ask Kaitlyn, he was a smooth talker. He whisked me off my feet for the first date easily.”

“Hypothetically, if he hadn’t cheated on you, could you see yourself married to him?” Scott asks, somewhat nonchalantly.

Tessa thinks for a minute before shaking her head. “Honestly, no. We were together for _a while_ , so I think we would have at least gotten engaged. But the marriage wouldn’t have lasted. Looking back, the relationship wasn’t as great as I thought it was at the time.”

“Long engagement or a divorce?”

She shrugs. “Pretty much. We just disagreed on too many of the important things and I didn’t see that while I was dating him. He didn’t want kids and I did. He wanted to move and I wanted to stay here in the city. There were a lot more that we disagreed on, and I just ignored it because I loved him.”

Scott squeezes her hand when she gets a little sad remembering the past. “Hey, don’t get upset, T. There’s going to be some lucky guy who falls head over heels for you. I mean, I’ve already got my groomsman duties perfect so I’ll need to use them again!”

Tessa can’t help but smile at his attempt to joke. “You’re right. Both of us are going to find love one day. Just you wait, Moir.”

After three hours, the two of them finally finished grading. They decide to finish off the wine and takeout as a reward for dealing with the immaturity and lackluster answers of high school students. Ditching the glasses, they start drinking straight from the bottle.

“You want to know something, Virtch?” Scott says, taking another sip of the wine bottle before passing it to her, “I’d marry you in a heartbeat.”

Tessa looks up at him fondly, drunkenly, but fondly. After taking her own big gulp from the bottle, she replies, “I’d marry you, too.”

“I don’t think our wedding would be this elaborate. You wouldn’t want that. I think it would be great though,” he snuggles closer to her, “There would have to be good booze and a good cake. That’s my only two requests.”

Tessa runs her fingers through his hair, making a mental note to remind him to get it cut before the wedding. “Sure thing, Scott. As long as there are flowers, lots and lots of flowers.”

“Peonies, they’re your favorite.”

“How’d you know that?”

Scott shrugs. “You mentioned last year how your mom sent you peonies for getting Teacher of the Year.”

Tessa can feel the flush of red creep on her cheeks. Maybe from the wine, maybe from Scott’s thoughtfulness. 

_Most likely from both._

“I’ll be your backup plan. You really won’t need me, but I’ll be here just incase. I promise I’ll be a decent husband.”

Tessa snorts, “You’d make a great husband. I’d make a decent wife.”

Scott is dozing off onto her shoulder and mumbling, “You’ll be a perfect wife.”

When Tessa arrives to school on Monday, there’s an arrangement of peonies waiting for her on the desk.

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, Ms. Virtue,” one of the girls giggles.

She ignores her students’ inquires as to not arise any suspicions. 

Plucking the card from inside the bouquet, Tessa reads it with a smile.

_To My “Future” Wife_

_Hope these make you feel better after the other night. You know where to find me if you need someone_

_Love,_

_Scott_

_a.k.a Your Backup Plan_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we’re making some SERIOUS progress here between these two, aren’t we? There’s a lot regarding Scott and Layla’s relationship and Tessa and Scott’s...hopeful relationship  
> Thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!


	9. Dress Fitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So Tessa, how are things going with Scott?” Layla asks, nonchalantly as the seamstress pins the hem of the dress.
> 
> She shrugs, “He told me that he might take on a senior team this year. He’s real excited about that. We were all talking about it on Friday. You’re free to come hang out with us at the bar tonight if you want. I know Anna is coming.”
> 
> “Oh, I meant romantically,” Layla corrects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our wonderful Maid of Honor and Best Man are BACK!
> 
> Sorry it’s been so long everyone! I’ve got the last few chapters much more written out so hopefully there won’t be as big of a break

Tessa and Scott don’t talk about it. They don’t need to, just simply accepting their weird little friendship that was always there.

Their friends know something happened though. There was still slight bickering between them but added sweet comments and more friendly gestures. It was just odd for the two of them.

It especially gets noticed on a Friday night at the bar. 

The loud laughter coming from Tessa and Scott catches the rest of the group off guard. Their side conversation completely engrossing them and making them oblivious to the rest trying to catch on to what they’re goofing off about.

“So I thought if I professed my love to her in front of everyone, she would _have_ to say yes to being my girlfriend. That girl said no, so I used the same move on her best friend just to get revenge. I figured one of them would have to fall for it and she did. Broke up with me a week later, but it did work.”

“At seven years old?”

“Hey! I was quite the Casanova back in my day! All the ladies loved me!”

“Oh, of course. Who could resist the charms of Scott Moir in an ice dancing costume,” Tessa scoffs.

“You know that you wouldn’t be able to,” Scott sends a cheesy wink her way.

“Oh, I would be head over heels for you, Moir. Then, you would go and break my poor heart,” she sniffles and pretends to wipe a tear from her eye, “I would cry in my bedroom every night over the mysterious Moir boy and why I wasn’t good enough for him.”

“That would never happen, Tessa,” Scott says with a playful gasp, “You would be the girl to change my ways, the one to get me to settle down!”

Busting into another round of laughter, Scott and Tessa finally acknowledge the group again. 

“I’m going get drinks. Does anybody want anything?” When everyone murmurs a no, he turns to his right and asks, “Tessa, do you want a rum punch or a Merlot?”

Kaitlyn gives Scott a weird look and says, “You know what, I’ll go with you.” 

Hopping out off the stool, Scott and Kaitlyn head to the bar. They sit in silence for two minutes before Kaitlyn can’t wait any longer.

“Why are you and Tessa being so nice to each other? You’re usually so sarcastic and making comments to each other? What’s up with it? Did you two kiss? Did you two have sex? What is it? _I want to know, Scott Moir_!”

Scott stands there with his mouth slightly open, gaping at his friend. Trying to process all that she threw at him, Scott says, “Hold on, one question at a time! Tessa and I are being our normal selves around each other.”

Kaitlyn glares at him, “No, you are not. You’re getting her drinks. You’re helping her grade, which in teacher terms, means you’re practically in love with her. There’s less fighting between the two of you. I don’t know what to think!”

Scott just shrugs in response. “You’re being overdramatic, Kaitlyn. Just because I grab a drink for my friend doesn’t mean I had sex with her. 

Tessa is getting a similar interrogation from the others back at the table.

“What’s up with you and Scott?” Patrick asks slyly, “You two seem to be getting along nicely.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tessa says, giving him a weird look, “I had a bad day, so he’s just trying to cheer me up. He’s being his stupid self as usual.”

Patrick raises an eyebrow at her, but doesn’t comment on the situation more. He chooses to do some more observing instead. 

When Scott and Kaitlyn come back with drinks, Tessa graciously accepts her wine. It’s an awkward position for her to hug him so she settles for a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, Scott. I really needed this after today. The kids were just so chatty and didn’t want to do any work.” Their friends’ eyes bug out at the gesture but Scott smiles in return.

An hour later, Tessa stands up and grabs her jacket. “I’m going to head home, guys. I had a long day, but thanks for a nice night. You guys really made it better.” 

Everyone else smiles and gives her a hug goodbye. Kaitlyn also reminds her of the bridesmaid dress fitting the next day, which also brings an eye roll.

All except Scott. 

He instead hops up from his seat too and says, “I was actually thinking about heading out soon, too. I promised my kids extra skate time tomorrow,” he looks towards Tessa, “Want me to walk with you to your car? I know you parked pretty far away.”

She nods in appreciation, and they both wave goodbye before heading to the door. 

Watching the culprits walk away, they finally break down and start the accusations.

“Do you think they did it?” 

“No, I bet they kissed though.” 

“Five bucks that they had sex!”

“Five bucks that they kissed!”

“Alright, we’ll bet on it since we really need to do that,” Liz says, rolling her eyes, “Too bad I want to do it anyway, too. What are the stakes?”

“One hundred bucks to the person that closest to what Tessa and Scott have done,” Andrew says, “Now let’s get the details straight. Let’s set a deadline for it.”

Patrick slams his glass down. “Rehearsal dinner. That gives them enough time to settle things between them without us interfering.”

“That’s a good way to put it. Rehearsal dinner it is. Whoever guesses the closest to what they’ve done by then wins. Who’s for them kissing?”

Kaitlyn raises her hand. “I think they’re going to drunk kiss and it will be awkward for a bit between them after the wedding.”

“Sex?”

He and Patrick raise their hands. 

Turning to Liz, he asks, “What about you, Liz?” 

She smiles and shakes her head. “I don’t think anything is going to happen until after. But honestly, Kaitlyn’s drunk kiss does seem likely.” 

Nodding their heads, Patrick pipes up, “Alright, everyone, it’s game on. Let’s see what will happen by the rehearsal. I have to say, Kaitlyn and Andrew, your wedding is going to be an interesting one.”

The next day, Tessa is enjoying a _wonderful_ afternoon with the bridesmaids and bride. Getting their dresses altered has _never_ been so much fun.

There has been another Bridezilla in the store who was in the store before their appointment. Crying because she thought that her dress is ruined, that bride had to be consoled by her man of honor, bridesmaids, Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn’s bridesmaids, and the seamstresses. 

It took a whole army to convince the girl on how beautiful she looked. And even though it worked, it still put the store two hours back with appointments. 

Tessa already has a migraine by the time theirs rolls around.

“Oh sweetie, this dress looks amazing on you!” the little elderly lady tells Anna, “It’s just your color.” 

Beaming, Anna hops down from the stool, careful to not mess up the pins. 

“So Tessa, how are things going with Scott?” Layla asks, nonchalantly as the seamstress pins the hem of the dress.

  
She shrugs, “He told me that he might take on a senior team this year. He’s real excited about that. We were all talking about it on Friday. You’re free to come hang out with us at the bar tonight if you want. I know Anna is coming.”

Tessa tries to deflect the conversation away from Scott quickly. At least inviting her to go out was the nice thing to do, but then she could tell Scott that Layla was coming in advance.

“Oh, I meant romantically,” Layla corrects.

“Couldn’t tell you, Layla. He hasn’t said anything to us about bringing a date to the wedding.”

Obviously not the answer she wanted, Layla tries again to probe Tessa for answers, “There’s nothing going on between the two of you? I figured there is since you seemed...cozy earlier.”

The other women don’t add anything to the conversation in fear of getting no answer. 

Tessa is getting upset now, not wanting to show it to her though. She thinks Scott is attractive, no bother denying it because she always has. But there’s no reason for her to talk about her love life to a woman that hurt her friend.

“I’m pretty sure I would the first to know if something was going on between Scott and me. But Scott’s love life is neither of our businesses,” she says curtly, leaving it with that. Layla doesn’t ask again but Tessa can feel that she wasn’t satisfied with her answer. To be honest, Tessa isn’t either.

The guys are getting their suits fitted at the tailor’s now. Kaitlyn thought it would be a great idea to schedule the appointments at the same time even if they were in different places for some reason. In order to get through it, Scott and her have been texting each other. He even sent her a picture of him in his suit (which he hated but she thought he looked quite nice).

_Try not to strangle Kaitlyn for me_

Tessa snorts and goes to reply before she gets interrupted. 

“Hey! Off the phone! We don’t have time for diddle-daddle!” the seamstress snaps at her, pointing for her to get on the stool. 

Huffing, Tessa says, “I’ll be right up. Just give me one second.” 

_Of course not! How would I get to spend so much time with you of the wedding was cancelled?_

She steps up on to the stool after nervously typing one last text, leaving her phone unlocked so that she can read it. Waiting for the buzz she keeps checking her phone to see her own message.

_If you’re not busy would you mind helping me grade again soon? You were such a big help and I really need it right now._

Immediately getting stuck by a pin (probably on purpose), she smiles when she sees:

_It’s a date_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter and I probably will end up finishing this. I got the motivation again and don’t want to leave it behind.


	10. Emergency Wedding Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa leans towards him and says, “I know something that will really make her mad. Are you with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m still here! I hope you guys like this one too!

_No grading._

_No wedding planning._

Tessa didn’t think she could ask for a more perfect night. 

Until she receives a call from Scott.

Getting mentally prepared for whatever “wedding emergency” Kaitlyn is going to drag them to,” Tessa answers the phone with a groan, “Hey, Scott. What does Kaitlyn need our help with now?”

“It’s actually me that needs the help Scott asks in a pleading voice, “I thought that you might be able to help me.”

Tessa switches hands to hold her phone, furrowing her eyebrows, she replies, “What do you need me for?”

“I...,” she hears him sigh from the other side of the phone, “I have this wedding and I need a date. I put plus one on the invitation months ago and I really _really_ need a date to this wedding.”

“Of course, it’s no trouble. What’s so important about this one that you need a date?”

Scott’s quiet on the line before admitting, “Layla’s going to be there. The wedding’s for an old college friend of the two of us, and I know that’s she's going,” he takes a pause before continuing, “I’d like it if you went with me because I don’t know what it’s going to be like seeing all of our old friends with her around. Some of them took her side after the engagement.”

“Of course, I’ll go. If you need me there, that is.”

Tessa can hear him self out a sigh of relief, “I really do need you.”

They talk about plans and what each of them will wear so that they can color-coordinate without matching too much.

“Hey, Tessa,” Scott says just as the conversation is ending, “Thanks again. I really do appreciate it.”

“Hey, maid of honor and best man have to stick together right?” She can almost see his goofy smile from across the city.

“Couldn’t let you down that.”

The ceremony went on without a hitch. Scott tells her that the groom is one of his friends from college and he met the bride through him. Very traditional but personal to them, Tessa couldn’t help but tear up when the couple read their vows. She saw Scott almost she’d a few tears, too. 

“Scott Moir!” The two of them are walking into the ballroom for the reception when they hear a booming voice, “I thought that was you!”   
  
A lanky guy comes jogging over and almost tackles Scott to the ground. “Dude, I thought it was you!” The two men hug and start talking before the other notices Tessa.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t even see you there. My name's David,” the man shakes her hand swiftly, “I was stuck with Scott here for all four years of college.”

“I’m Tessa, Scott’s date. It’s nice to meet you.” David smiles at her when she says date. He obviously took Scott’s side after the engagement broke off.

“It’s really nice to meet you, Tessa. I hope that you’ll come talk to me and my wife during the reception.” When Tessa returned the sentiment, the two old friends go to catch up.

Tessa takes a chance to look around the ballroom. Beautiful round tables, place cards, a dance floor, the reception is stunning and everything is perfectly in place. This wedding might put Kaitlyn’s to shame. 

All the people that she’s talked to so far are lovely. The guest list consists of their families, old and new friends, and coworkers. They all came to support the new couple. But there's one person Tessa spots that she hopes won’t ruin the night for her.

Layla. She just hopes that Scott can avoid her at all costs. 

Sitting at their table, Scott and Tessa were talking to each other when he suddenly mentions the big elephant in the room.

“I’m over her. I really am and I know this because she doesn’t plague my mind everyday,” Scott states matter-a-factly, “I just think that it will always sting on what happened between us and how it ended.”

David is also invited to Andrew and Kaitlyn’s wedding, so Scott was the one to bring up the fact that she would be a bridesmaid. 

“Hey, it’s okay to feel that way, Scott. She was your first love. Layla will always have such an important place in your life. No matter how harshly it ended, it impacted you in so many ways.” She puts a hand lightly on his cheek.

“Thanks for coming, Virtch. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

“Screw the bridesmaid,” Tessa says sarcastically. When she gets no reply, she turns her head to Scott, sitting there with a smirk, “ _No,_ I’m not letting you walk out of here with one of them.”

He throws his hands up in defense. “Okay, _okay_! We’ll stick together.”

She plays the date that Scott needed. Touching his arm, leaning on his shoulder, having him wrap his arm around her waist, it is just enough to get the other guests from questioning him about Layla. 

But of course, that doesn’t keep _her_ away. Tessa can feel eyes burning on throughout the night, but she tries to pay no mind.

“Tess! I can’t believe you’re here!” Tessa hears from behind her. Excusing herself from a conversation with another guest at, she turns around to face the devil herself.

“Layla! I was wondering if you would be here!” Tessa says in a sickeningly sweet voice, “I must have missed you at the ceremony.”

With an obviously fake smile, Layla hugs her tightly. “Oh, that’s okay. Katie and Brad are two friends from college so I wanted to come and support them.”

Tessa squeezes her back, not as harshly as she really wants to though. 

“You obviously must of come with Scott though,” Layla remarks, “I knew there was something going on between the two of you.”

For once, Tessa is the one with all the power. Debating on how she how she should explain her and Scott’s non existent relationship, she decides on this instead.

“I guess a _little_ changed between now and then,” Tessa shrugs, not really lying to the woman she hates the most, After all, Scott has become one of truest friends, “Besides, who knows what will happen between us in?”

Looking at Layla’s stunned face, Tessa leaves with a smirk and a quick goodbye. She grabs her drink before heading over to their table and giving Scott a kiss on the cheek.

“How many of those have you had?” he says, smiling and raising an eyebrow, “The Tessa Virtue I know would never come over and just openly show _me_ affection.”

“Get off your high horse and come dance with me, Moir,” she says, pulling him on the dance floor.

They dance with the rest of the guests for over an hour before a slow song comes on. Lacing their fingers together, Scott puts one of his hands on her hip while Tessa puts hers on his shoulder. 

They sway for a little bit before Tessa leans towards him and says, “I know something that will really make her mad. Are you with me?” 

Scott leans back. “T, I don’t want to kiss you just to make my ex-fiancée jealous.”

There’s a sting of rejection in her chest. “Oh, yeah. I mean it’s just like it would be for show. We don’t have to go that far. She’s already shooting daggers at me.”

“No, it’s not that, Tessa. It’s that I don’t want our fir-”

She just waves her hand and says, “Let’s go get a piece of cake and then dance some more. You are my favorite dance partner after all.”

After sending off the bride and groom and saying goodbye to everyone, they are riding home in a comfortable silence, thinking over everything from the night. Though Tessa suddenly has something pop up in her mind. “Hey, during the engagement party when you were playing detective with all the bridesmaids?”

Scott chuckles and replies, “Yeah, and I’ve been right on every single one. Don’t try and disprove me.”

No, he was pretty dead on.

“You just never told me what type of bridesmaid I was. I’m curious, that’s all.”

Scott turns to her and says with complete confidence, “You’re the perfect bridesmaid.”

“That’s a little bit of a reach there. I’m pretty far from perfect when it comes to this wedding.”

He starts his rebuttal, “Anytime Kaitlyn needs something, you’re the first one to go help.”

“I’m the maid of honor!” Tessa scoffs.

“And? You’ve got a job. Liz is right there and helps out too.” He shrugs, “There’s no reason for you to do everything, T. You’re her friend, not her assistant. This should be fun for you to help her out, not stressful and miserable.”

Not knowing what to say, she stares out the window. She knows that he’s right but doesn’t want to admit it. Tessa has been to every wedding planning event, shower, anything and everything Kaitlyn needed her for. Her life revolves around this wedding.

“Come on, let me walk you up,” he says softly, squeezing her hand on her lap.

Coming to a stop at her door, Tessa and Scott just stand there, not really knowing what to say. 

“I had a good time tonight,” she decides on, “Your friends are a lot of fun to be around.”

He nods in appreciation. “Yeah, they’re something alright. It was nice to see everyone again.”

“Well, if you ever need a wedding date again, just give me a call,” Tessa goes to step into her apartment when Scott gives her a puzzled look.

“But aren’t you my date to Kaitlyn and Andrew’s wedding? I mean, as maid of honor and best man, we are expected to stand by each other’s sides through thick and thin.” 

Dramatically clutching his chest, he says in a hurt tone, “We would ruin the wedding! And I could _never_ let down my friends.”

“That is not listed under maid of honor duties. Sorry, Moir, guess you’re going stag,” she snorts and shakes her head.

“Your loss, Virtch!”   
  
Tessa just rolls her eyes and gives him the finger as he laughs down the hallway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I guess Scott is stuck going to the wedding by himself...so far
> 
> I hope you guys liked this one!


	11. Bachelorette and Bachelor Parties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is everything okay? Are you feeling sick or something?,” she motions towards the bar, “I can go get you some water.”
> 
> He stays quiet for a minute before shaking his head. “No, it’s not okay. I should’ve told you this a long time ago.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this chapter! Finally, something starts to happen between our “couple”.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!

It’s one week until the wedding, and Tessa is relieved and slightly upset at the same time. 

The whole ordeal has been stressful beyond her wildest dreams but she is having fun planning the whole event with her friends. She met a new one in Anna, having a great time getting to know her.

And it will all be over soon, so Tessa will miss the days of picking out bridal shower games or registry items. Even though she will tell everyone that she needs a vacation after the wedding is over. 

But today, she has the time to relax with all of the bridesmaids and just celebrate Kaitlyn.

Tessa decided that a spa day is the perfect idea for Kaitlyn. Just relaxing and enjoying time with her friends is the best gift that the women could give her. After an afternoon of manicures, pedicures, massages, and face masks, the women would head to a fancy Italian restaurant to dine. 

“Is everyone having fun?” Anna mumbles from her massage table, “I think I’m going to buy a membership to a spa. Or at least go more regularly, this is amazing.” 

The others just nod lazily. Layla and Liz are getting their nails painted while Anna, Tessa, and Kaitlyn are on the massage tables.

So far, it’s been perfect.

Layla has actually been nice and chatty, even bringing lunch for the girls to have before they head off to the spa. 

Interrupting her zen, Tessa hears her phone go off. Groaning, she just lets it sit there.

Then it goes off again. And again, and again, and again.

She sits up from the table to see who wanted to bother her and honestly shouldn’t have been surprised.

_We're going eat at 6. Are you guys still going to eat for 7?_

The guys did a much simpler party. All they did was go to a nice steak house and then bar hop for a while. The two of them had spent an hour on the phone the night before talking and finishing last minute details. He knew everything about Kaitlyn’s party just like Tessa knew everything about Andrew’s.

So, honestly there is _no_ reason why he should consider texting her at this moment.

_T, are you okay? You usually text me back quickly_

_Oh wait, you’re busy getting your nail done and can’t respond because you’ll mess them up._

_Anyways, see you at the bar later_

Scott and Tessa decide to meet up at the end of the night with the different groups at their usual bar. It would give everyone a chance to hangout together after having their separate parties. 

Tessa doesn’t leave Scott without a response though. 

_Everything’s good here, I’ll see you at the bar with freshly painted nails._

The air around the group is different than their usual get together. Everybody is giddier, drinking more, taking pictures, and dancing freely.

Chiddy and Scott are reviving their karaoke duo for _one night only_. Patrick emphasized the _one night only_.

“This goes out to our wonderful bride and groom!” Patrick shouts, “We love you, Andrew and Kaitlyn. And we love your love!”

“ _Don't go breaking my heart_ ,” Patrick croons the lyrics of Sir Elton John.

“ _I couldn’t if I tried!_ ” Scott squeaks back in a high-pitched tone, making everyone laugh. 

“ _Oh honey, if I get restless!_ ” 

“ _Baby, you’re not the kind!_ ” Scott pretends to flip his hair and points to Patrick. 

Throughout their duet, the two dance and sing. Their little crowd cheers them on and Kaitlyn waves her phone flashlight on for them. But of course, they finish off their song with a bellowing:

“ _Don't go breaking my heart!_ ”

This performance, Tessa actually cheers for the duo. Clapping, she shouts from the bar, “Encore! Encore!” When she gets a glare from Patrick, she just continues, “C’mon Patrick, I want to see you sing Dancing Queen next!”

Patrick blushes and shakes his head. “That’s a no from me. I’m headed straight for the bar and for another beer.”

She just shrugs and starts to head back to the table before Anna stops her and says, “Oh no, Tessa. You wanted to hear _Dancing Queen_? Well, now you have to come and sing it with me.”

“Anna, wait! I’m just going to embarrass myself,” Tessa complains, hiding her face in the palm of her hand as Anna drags her up to the stage. 

“Look, you’ll never be as bad as those two,” Anna replies, nodding her head to Scott and Patrick, “I’ll get stage fright if I’m up here by myself. So just one song?”

Tessa looks down at the microphone in her hand and takes it. “Okay, why not? But you’re not going to ditch me up here.”

Her new karaoke partner laughs and agrees, the music starting up. Their friends clap for their prides, even if the two of them know how awful they sound. 

Anna and Tessa decide to sing three more songs anyways. 

Towards the end of the night, the group is hanging around and dancing together, but Tessa can’t find her right-hand man. Looking around for him, she decides to check up on where he could be.

Tessa finds Scott outside the bar, drinking his beer and staring off into space, “Wanted some air?”

He just shrugs in response, “Just thinking, figured I’d look like a downer if I stayed in there.”

She steps closers and gives him a gentle hug. “We’ve done well. They’re happy, Scott. We’ve been to hell and back but it will all be worth it when they finally get married.”

He gives her a light squeeze back in return.

They sit there in silence for a little while before Scott asks, “Do you remember whenever we met?”

Tessa snorts, finishing off her wine, “Unfortunately, very vividly. You told me that one of your skaters hated me and that my dress was ugly. What a good first impression.”

“Hey! That is not what happened!” he playfully glares down at her, “I welcomed you with _open arms_ into the group...and might have accidentally mentioned how you weren’t the favorite among my skaters that particular year.”

Giving him a tiny shove on the shoulder, Tessa continues, “I bitched to Kaitlyn over the phone for two hours about you the next day. I called you every name in the book.” 

“Look at us now though, practically two years of friendship,” he says, “I can’t imagine my life without you in it, Tessa.”

“One of my weirdest ones, but I can honestly admit you are one of dearest friends, Scott Moir,” she admits, wrapping her arms around him again and laying her head lightly on his shoulder. 

“Tessa, I...” Scott trails off, suddenly uncomfortable, “I need to talk to you...about something serious.”

“Is everything okay? Are you feeling sick or something?,” she motions towards the bar, “I can go get you some water.”

He stays quiet for a minute before shaking his head. “No, it’s not okay. I should’ve told you this a long time ago.”

Grabbing both her hands in his, the two of them face each other before he starts rambling, “Alright, just _listen_. _Please_. When you walked into the bar that first Friday night, I knew that you were someone special. You ar-”

“Tess! Tess! Come quick!” Anna comes rushing out to fetch her, interrupting whatever Scott was about to tell her, “Kaitlyn needs us!”

Shoulders drooping but out of instinct, Tessa goes to follow before suddenly turning back to Scott.

He sighs and steps away. “Duty calls, maid of honor. Like I said before, you’re the perfect bridesmaid, so everyone else’s happiness will come before yours. Even though it shouldn’t.”

He walks away to the meet back up with the groomsmen, but Tessa tries to call after him, “Scott! I can listen now! Kaitlyn can wait a little longer!” 

Scott turns around and gives her a small smile, “No, go help her out. We can talk tomorrow, Tessa Jane. Wouldn’t dream of missing out on a dance with you anyways.”

That’s when Tessa realizes she’s not the perfect bridesmaid. 

Because she’d rather be here with Scott. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Scott, always interrupted at the worst times. Not as much happened as you were probably hoping for but the upcoming chapter is a big one.
> 
> Also, the song that they were singing is “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee. I love Elton John (and it’s also featured in the Ella Enchanted movie).
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hoped you liked this chapter!


	12. Rehearsal Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott is the one in shock now. “That’s not...really how I expected this to go. But honestly, I should have thought it would.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im sorry everyone because I think I accidentally screwed up the timeline at the very end of last chapter. This takes place one week after the bachelor/bachelorette parties and the night before the wedding. 
> 
> Just wanted to clarify that incase it got confusing.

The ballroom looks like it came straight from a fairytale. Decked in flowers, candles, and rhinestones, the place sparkles. It is perfect for the extravaganza that Kaitlyn envisions.  
  
“You look radiant as ever, Virtch,” Tessa hears a whisper in her ear, “Want some champagne?” She sees Scott holding a champagne flute out to her.

“Thank you, I’m going to need that. And you look nice tonight, too. I’m glad we picked that one out for you.”

Scott is wearing a navy blue shirt with black slacks while Tessa also decided to dress a little more muted again for this party. In a royal blue dress and black heels, Tessa slicked back her hair in an elegant low ponytail, finishing off the look with a few jewelry pieces.

They scan the party, looking over all the guests. Everyone there seems to be having a good time and nothing is out of place so far.

Tessa smiles and can’t help but tease, “Looks like we got our bouncer gig back though. This party is going much more smoothly than the last one.”

He snorts in response, “I’m glad you finally came around to that. We will have to do our duties and make our rounds.”

Neither of them go to move though. 

“One of Andrew’s cousins is my new dance partner for the night. I’ll probably have to do a rain check on the dance with you.” Tessa says, finally walking away.

“I think I can steal you away for one from a sixteen year-old, T. He can’t hold you hostage the whole night.” He gives her a tiny salute before walking his own way to the dance floor.

Kaitlyn and Andrew are blissfully oblivious to the behind-the-scenes for their rehearsal dinner. Thankfully, all the small problems are easily diverted away from them.

Scott manages to charm a guest into a dance so she won’t take up too much of the couple's time. Tessa tries to calm older relatives who are unhappy that the ceremony isn’t taking place in a church.

I feel like we always find ourselves away from the others. Figured I’d find you here, hiding away from all of the chaos.” 

To the side of the ballroom is a small patio. Kaitlyn and Andrew decided to decorate it with a few twinkling lights and fresh flowers, not too much since they expect people to be inside the whole time. Tessa (once again) found her wingman away taking a breather from the whole party.

Scott shrugs, motioning for her to come stand by him. “Not a problem for me, I don’t mind being with you like this. Come see the daisies over here, I think you’ll really like them.”  
  
They look out into the lush hotel garden before Tessa suddenly feels the air get heavy between them. There is the obvious elephant in the room. She knew Scott was going to tell her something important last week at the party.

Time winding down until the wedding, the two have been around each other too many times to count since then, they could never really grab a moment alone. Instead, there were just lingering looks over the table.

“We never finished our conversation the other night,” Tessa mentions, as casually as possible, “You seem like you had a lot on your mind.”

She feels him stiffen beside her. Turning, Scott says something that almost made her pass out. 

_Tessa expects him to tell her that he’s moving.  
_

_She will tell him that she doesn’t want him to leave. And if he’s made up his mind already, she'll tease him about how lonely she’ll be without him there to bicker with. But once he leaves for good, Tessa won’t ask anyone else to help her grade homework anymore._

_Or maybe even something like he found himself a girl that he likes and he could see a forever. He will say that this girl is everything he ever dreamed of and he wants her approval._  
  
_Tessa will lie and say she can’t wait to meet the girl and how happy she is for him. Then, at home, she will drink a bottle of wine to herself and cry where no one could see her._

_But Tessa Virtue is not expecting:_

“I’m falling for you. I’m not in love with you yet, but damn it, I’m close.” 

It turns still between them, neither of them breathing for a second. Instead, they wait for the other to make a move.

“ _Shut up, you’re shitting me, right?_ ” Tessa blinks at him, mouth open in shock.

Scott is the one in shock now. “That’s not...really how I expected this to go. But honestly, I should have thought it would.” 

“I... _wow_...I just wasn’t expecting you to...”

Lightly grabbing her hand, Scott inhales and gets his thoughts together before he says, “It’s true. I’ve honestly come to have deep feelings for you, T. I wish I would have told you sooner. I _should_ have told you sooner. Everything was so hectic and I didn’t know if you felt the same way. The first day, I knew you were special, then I got to know you and become your friend. You changed my whole world and always kept me on my toes. You never let me slip past my best or you would definitely let me know. I looked forward to talking to you on Fridays or any day I could more than anything. I’m falling for you romantically, and each day I fall a little bit harder.”

He takes a little pause, waiting for some reaction, not getting one yet. Instead, Scott decides to say, “I also thought you were stunningly beautiful since you first came into the group, but you knew that. You know you’re hot, I know you’re hot. So that’s not something that we need to really clarify.”

“Thanks, I do appreciate that you’ve made it known, but you might’ve wanted to rethink the way you said that part of your speech,” Tessa says dryly.

His eyes widen. “Okay, I think you’re gorgeous, always have been and always will be. Let’s leave it at that.” 

“Perfect.”

Scott nods and replies, “Okay to continue after the _interruption_ , I just want to know if you can ever see yourself being with me? Dating, married, forever? Whatever you want.”

When he doesn’t get a response, Scott continues, “I guess my _real_ question is can you see yourself happy with me?” 

Squeezing his hand, Tessa whispers to him, “How long have you known?”

“Before the wedding, I had a crush on you, as silly and juvenile as it sounds. And I guess it was around the engagement party I kind of came to terms that it could be more than just a crush. Then it was special performance for my ‘bestiest of pals’ that really made it click. I knew I wanted to at least tell you how I felt if I ever got the guts to do it.”

It registers in her brain that Scott must have remembered that night a lot more than what they thought. She just can’t believe he’s been holding on to this for that long.

They can hear the music pounding and the guests’ chatter through the doors. 

“Let’s get back inside before they notice we're gone for too long,” she says, already going back into the other room and leaving Scott outside with his own thoughts. 

Tessa walks quickly to one of the bathrooms and locks the door. Splashing water on her face and then pacing around the small space, she tries to digest everything that was just said.

Who was the person to ask to ask about what her students were reading?

Who apologized to her for months because he felt like he didn’t treat her right?

The guy that stood up for her against her own best friend!

Since she became a part of the friend group, it’s not that he never liked her. In fact, it was the opposite. He made sure to get to know her quickly so she would feel comfortable in the group.

They weren’t afraid to challenge each other or call the other one out on what they were doing wrong. But through it all, they were the ones who laughed together and looked forward to seeing every Friday the most. 

Could Tessa see a forever with Scott? Honestly, who couldn’t? He’s charming, funny, and one of her best friends.

She just didn’t want to lose him. She just wonders is it worth the risk?

As the party is winding down, Tessa grabs Scott by shirt sleeve, “Hi, can I talk to you about some bridesmaid business?”

The look in her eyes tells him that it has nothing to do with the wedding so he quickly nods and follows her away from the last few guests. 

From the other side of the room, the eagle eyes of another bridesmaid and groomsman watch them walk out of the rehearsal dinner together.

“So who do you think is closest?” Patrick asks his wife, sipping on his drink, “They don’t seem drunk.” 

Liz shakes her head. “I don’t know, but I am curious. Let's wait to see them at the wedding for the bet. I think it’s going to be a whole different dynamic.”

“Well, until then, the two of us will dance and hope that our friends finally figure out what’s going on between them.”

Walking into a clear hallway, Tessa and Scott stop and face each other. 

“Shush and let me speak before you say anything,” Tessa demands, pointing a finger at Scott.

“Yes ma’am,” he mumbles, throwing his hands up in defense.

“Okay, do you really like me? Or are you just lonely and the wedding is bringing that out?” 

“I thought you told me not speak until you were done talking,” Scott snarks, crossing his arms.

“Stop being a smartass and answer the question!”

“Of course not, T,” he says exasperated, “Why would you even think that? I know that we’ve only ever just been friends, and you probably never even considered me in this way. I just wanted you to know how I feel.”

She looks him over before quietly saying, “It’s not one-sided, Scott.”

When they both go to talk, there is a parade of drunken guests coming down the hallway. The other guests wave to them, not even realizing who they were talking to.

“Let’s leave it there for now. We can talk about us later and I can walk you back to your room,” Scott smiles lightly, now that the mood had shifted. 

“Scott—” Tessa says once they get to her door, but he shakes his head.

“Think about it, Tess. Wait until after the wedding, and then you can give me an answer. But remember, you’ll always be one of my best friends.”

“See you at the wedding?” Tessa asks quietly, rocking slightly on her heels.

“Of course, I’ll be waiting for you at the end of the aisle,” Scott replies with a wink before turning around and heading to his own room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Scott has liked her for a LONG time.
> 
> But...what will Tessa’s answer be?
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you liked it!


	13. Wedding Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I guess it’s time to call it then. Who won, my dear?” Patrick asks his wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to have this out for Valentine's Day but I fell asleep before I could post it. So sorry, everyone!
> 
> I hope you like this last chapter though!

The morning of the wedding is so hectic that Tessa forgets all about Scott. Which is probably for the best since she got only four hours of sleep because of what he said last night.

Instead of focusing on that, she helps everyone get ready. Before she gets her hair and makeup done, Anna and Layla are ready, and Liz is currently being made over.

And, Kaitlyn is having a breakdown over whether or not the guests will like the food. 

“Kaitlyn, listen to me. The guests are going to love everything you planned, so don’t worry about it. What you need to focus on right now is getting married to Andrew. That’s what we’re here for and that’s what needs to be on your mind the most. Don't worry about the guests think, enjoy the day with you and your husband,” Anna tells her.

Tessa agrees, “You planned this for months, Kaitlyn. Everything is going to turn out beautifully. The guests are here to see you and Andrew get married. That’s what’s most important.”

The bride nods, takes a deep breath, and continues to get her makeup done.

After dealing with that issue, everyone goes back to what they were doing before, just making sure Kaitlyn isn't crying over little things every once in a while, too. She hears her phone go off somewhere on the vanity. In the mist of getting her hair curled, Tessa looks down to a text that she did not need at the moment.

_Andrew is freaking out already_

Trying to breathe quietly through her nose so Kaitlyn doesn’t hear, she looks at Liz who raises her eyebrow in question. Tessa just slightly shakes her head, not wanting to ruin the hair stylist in progress and to tell her not to worry. 

_Please make sure we don’t have a runaway groom! We’re having a meltdown at the moment!_

Scott decided it was a good idea to text her about the problems over on the men's side. While she already had to deal with Kaitlyn crying at the moment, Tessa does not need Scott and the other groomsmen adding any more stress before the wedding even started.

_You can handle, Tessa Jane. I believe in you. I’ll make sure he’s at the end of the aisle_

The hairstylist pats her on the shoulder, signaling her to look in the mirror. Ignoring Scott’s message, instead praying that he will be able to handle it, she looks in the mirror at her hair and makeup. 

It turned out stunning. She has her hair in a loose updo with a few hairs gently on the side of her face. A burgundy lip and shimmery eye look compliments everything. She gets completely ready while they all wait for Kaitlyn to be done.

“Oh, Kaitlyn!”

“Oh my gosh, I’m going to cry!” 

Kaitlyn steps out into the room in her wedding dress that she had picked out. Adorned with a cathedral veil and rhinestone headband, she looks like a princess. 

All of her bridesmaids gasp when she comes in all put together. Suddenly, all the stress from earlier in the morning is gone. 

Kaitlyn squeals, “Alright, everyone! Let’s go get me and Andrew married!”   
  
  
When she firsts starts to walk down the aisle, Tessa looks at Andrew and wiggles her eyebrows. He just laughs and gives her a small wave.

Then she looks at Scott, who is giving her the biggest grin she’s ever seen. He looked handsome in a fitted suit and combed back hair. Tessa made sure that he got his hair cut to the perfect length for the wedding.

Giving him a smile back, she walks towards the side of the bridesmaids.

Finally in her place, she stands a little straighter for pictures. Feeling eyes burning on her, she turns towards the groomsmen. There’s Scott still looking at her.

“Hi,” she mouths, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He shoots her a wink before looking at the flower girls and ring bearers tumbling down the aisle.

They don’t notice that the photographer caught the moment between them.

“I, Kaitlyn Weaver, take thee, Andrew Pojé, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part,” Kaitlyn sniffles as she recites her vows.

“I, Andrew Pojé, take thee, Kaitlyn Weaver, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part,” Andrew says, barely holding it together himself.

Liz is a blubbering mess, just like Scott predicted. She tries to blink back the tears but it didn’t work.

She isn’t the only emotional one though. Liz does cry the most but she isn’t the only bridesmaid in tears. Layla has waterworks, Anna almost has mascara running, and Tessa needs a tissue through the ring ceremony.

Scott and Patrick tear up on the other side of the aisle too.

“I know pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” the officiant exclaims, gesturing Andrew towards Kaitlyn. He takes a step back and allows the newlyweds to have their first kiss as husband and wife.

The space erupts in claps and cheers as the two seal the marriage with a kiss. Andrew turns to his groomsmen afterwards and gives a thumbs up, receiving the gesture back.

This earns him a small smack from his bride. 

“Aren’t I the luckiest guy here,” Scott whispers in her ear, “I get to walk down the aisle with the prettiest woman.” Following the bride and groom, the wedding party files out behind them two by two down the aisle. As maid of honor and best man, Scott and Tessa have the luck of walking together.

Tessa raises an eyebrow at him. “You really are a smooth talker, Scott Moir. You better change that sentence to the prettiest bridesmaid though.”

Stopping at the end of the aisle for a picture, they continue out the ceremony space.

“Nah, I’m sticking with it. Kaitlyn looks absolutely beautiful, but my eyes are only on my partner in crime here.” He squeezes her hand that is resting on his arm as he guides her to the area where the bridal party is taking pictures.

Tessa can’t help but laugh at his antics. The mood is high and everyone is in good spirits. She can’t wait to enjoy the party with her friends, all the guests, and especially Scott.

The reception decorations are even more extravagant than the ones from the rehearsal dinner. Candelabras and fresh flowers on every table, pressed linens, the wedding colors boldly on display.

Kaitlyn even got her five-tiered cake with _real_ roses.

Every single guest is excited for the reception, and so far, nothing has brought their moods down. It’s exactly how the bride dreamed, down to the very last napkin. All the hard work paid off. Everyone is having a good time and it will be a night to remember.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Cameron. May I borrow Scott for a minute? He promised me a dance earlier and still hasn’t followed through with it,” Tessa explains, tapping Scott on the shoulder. 

About an hour through the reception, a slow song comes on, one that Tessa has danced to numerous times with her partner. Now...it’s just time to make sure that certain partner is out on the dance floor with her.

The older woman shooes them off to the dance floor, stopping her conversation with the groomsman immediately. Sending Tessa a wink, Mrs. Cameron walks away, not saying anything else about it. 

Including the shocked look on Tessa’s face.

Holding out his hand to her, Scott gently places her hand on his shoulder. Resting his hand on her waist, they lace their fingers together. They sway back and forth to the music, not talking. Just set in their familiar hold, Scott and Tessa enjoy the comfort of the other in the chaos that is going on around them. 

“You say that we always end up away from the crowd but I would say we always end up on the dance floor together,” Scott remarks with a smirk, “Either one is good for me though, you’re my favorite dance partner, too.”

Completely disregarding what he said, Tessa replies, almost breathlessly, “Yes, to all of it.”

Scott spins her around with a puzzled look. “Wait, what do you mean?”

“Yes, I can see myself _so happy_ with you, Scott Moir. We can date, maybe get married, do forever, whatever you want.”

“Are you proposing to me, Tessa? I’m flattered!” Scott says, smirk growing.

“Shut up, or I will _quickly_ take back what I just said.” Tessa glares at him and the smirk falls very fast.

“Okay to continue after the interruption, it’s just like you said. I’m not in love with you yet, but I will be soon.”

Even after her admittance last night and her statements now, Scott still croaks out, “Really?”

Tessa nods. “When Kaitlyn’s bridal shower was going wrong, you dropped everything to come help me. Not a lot of people would do that. I don’t think you will ever understand how much that meant to me.”

Seeing Scott’s face, she places her hand lightly on his cheek.“Do you remember when you helped me grade papers that first time? That’s honestly the time I think my feelings for you changed from just being ‘partners in crime’. It was just you and me, no wedding, only us goofing off and having fun. People would ask and I would deny. But when they did, it was always in the back of my mind: what if?”

“All I had to do was buy you takeout and grade essays to get you to like me,” Scott says flatly, “Man, I could’ve wowed you ages ago.”

“There’s a lot more than that, Scott. You’re funny, kind, attractive, even though you know I’ve thought you were good-looking since I met you. But, one of the biggest reasons is that you’re my best friend. I don’t want a life without you in it. And now, I mean it in a romantic way, too.”

Scott’s eyes soften and he proposes, “Then let’s do this, T. You, me, for as long as we can put up with each other? I’m banking on forever though.”

“I like the sound of that,” Tessa says confidently, letting her right-hand man twirl her around once again.

“I guess it’s time to call it then. Who won, my dear?” Patrick asks his wife. The two of them swaying just a few couples away from Tessa and Scott.

Liz looks over to the other happy couple and says, “Well, not to pat myself on the back or anything but I would say me. Maybe Kaitlyn if they kissed, I don’t know.”

Her husband snorts, “Andrew and I are out. Trust me, they haven’t done it yet.”

They glance over, trying not to be seen observing. Tessa and Scott are in their own little bubble, not a care in the world.

“Alright, I’ve got it. Seventy-five dollars to you and twenty-five to Kaitlyn,” Patrick threw up one of his hands when Liz gave him a look, “Not just because you’re my wife! We saw them showing their feelings for each other after the ceremony and I’m pretty sure they made out already.”

His wife just laughs at his reasoning, “Okay, game over. Everyone is happy and everything is exactly how it should be. Now, let’s go get some drinks.”

“Sounds perfect,” Patrick says, wrapping an arm lazily around her waist, “A beer for me and a mocktail for you.”

The drinks are flowing, guests are dancing, and shoes are forgotten. Tessa and Scott decide to give up their jobs as bouncers and just enjoy themselves for the night.

“Where’s all my single ladies in the room?” the DJ’s voice booms from over the speakers, stopping the dance party, “It’s time for the bouquet toss so get down to the dance floor!”

Anna grabs Tessa and drags her to where the other women were gathering. “C’mon, Tessa! You’re not leaving me out here alone. If you do, I’m going to make you do karaoke again.”

Tessa laughs at her and lines up next to the rest of the unmarried women.

Kaitlyn shouts, “Are you girls ready?” She turns around and throws the bouquet over her shoulder, sending the flowers soaring in the air.

Tessa _does_ make an effort to jump for it but two of the other girls block her way. One guest went hard for the flowers, but instead of catching it, it bounces out of her hands and falls right in front of Tessa.

Snatching it off the floor, Tessa throws her arm up in a triumphant gesture. She curtsies at the clapping and then saunters off the dance floor so the garter toss could take place.

Laughing at all the “You’ll be next!” remarks from everyone, Tessa grabs the bouquet and looks for a quick escape. She just wants a break from all of the dancing and endless conversations she’s been forced to have over the last few hours.

Seeing the French doors, she slips out onto the patio and closes her eyes. The fresh air and silence wafts over her, giving her the clear head space she needs.

“Well, Tessa, looks like you and me are getting hitched next,” a voice comes from behind her.

Startled, Tessa grabs her newly-acquired bouquet and turns to see Scott twirling the garter around his finger.

She raises one eyebrow playfully and smiles. “I guess we’re really stuck together then.”

With his usual sarcastic tone to her, he can’t help but tease, “ _Stuck together_? I thought it was until death do we part?”

_Only Scott Moir._

She rolls her eyes at his comment. “I think it’s something like that.”

Coming to stand in front of her, Scott pulls Tessa close to him. With a goofy grin on his face, Tessa can’t help but smile back.

“May I now kiss the bridesmaid, Virtch?”  
  
“I think you should, Moir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I would say that Liz should’ve won the whole $100 dollars because:  
> -they technically didn’t get together until after the bet was officially over (also until Andrew and Kaitlyn were officially married)  
> -they hadn’t kissed yet until the very end
> 
> Also, there was a reason Liz needed a mocktail...


	14. The Last Walk Down The Aisle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Virtch!” Scott stops her, finally getting her to look down, “You never answered me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t help myself. I don’t think I would be able to write a sequel but I did want to write this part for Tessa and Scott.

_One year after Kaitlyn and Andrew’s wedding_

Scott Moir is the luckiest man in the world. And he will tell everyone that, there’s no denying it. At thirty-two years old, he’s probably the happiest he’s ever been in his life.

He has one of his senior teams going to the upcoming Olympics this year. The two of them placing bronze in the National Championships so far this season.   
  
He feels like a proud father with those kids, watching them grow up over the past few years. Seeing them train, make lifts, and learn the skate even stronger.

But Scott’s biggest accomplishment is getting Tessa Virtue to be his girlfriend. And not just his girlfriend, but his partner for life.   
  
She said yes to a hopeful forever just a year ago. And so far, that forever looks like it will happen.

Of course there are fights between them like any other couple. If there weren’t Scott would honestly be worried. Picture-perfect couples aren’t realistic.

The bantering never let up, neither of them willing to back down from a good debate. The teasing, eye rolls, and snarky comments come with a flirtation now.

Their friends wouldn’t expect anything less. The new couple waited about two months before officially revealing their status to the group, even if they already had their suspicions. They are all happy for Tessa and Scott, Kaitlyn and Andrew claiming that it was their wedding that made them get together.

But Liz was right.

_Everything is exactly how it should be._

Scott doesn’t think his life could get any better. But there’s only one thing that probably could make it.

_Asking Tessa to be his wife._

“Okay, I’ve got the food,” Scott shouts from the door. 

“Alright, I’m in the living room! I have everything set up,” Tessa replies, already sitting in front of their coffee table. On a normal Saturday night, she needed help with grading so Scott offered to grab Chinese takeout before they started.

An hour into grading and eating their food, Tessa can tell something is up with her boyfriend. He’s not as talkative, too focused on grading quizzes, and not paying attention to what’s on TV. 

“Do you remember Kaitlyn and Andrew’s reception?” Scott asks nonchalantly, doodling on a scratch piece of paper.   
  
Tessa snorts. “I mean, yeah. We all drank a lot and partied our asses off. But I remember a good bit of it. It was a nice night.” 

She places her hand on top of his and gives it a squeeze. “It was a special night, for us, too. I’ll always remember that.”

She goes back to watching whatever reality show she flipped to while Scott stares at her.

“Yeah, that was the night we got together.”

Tessa nods lazily, still watching the TV. “Yep, we said we would put up with each other for as long as we could, hopefully forever. I haven’t scared you off yet though.”  
  
There’s a long pause coming from Scott, making Tessa turn her head towards him. As soon as she does, her jaw drops. 

There is he is, holding a ring.   
  
“What if we turned that hopefully forever into a _definitely_ forever?” 

Shifting his stance into bending on one knee, he helps her stand up before saying, “Tessa Jane, you’ve been my partner-in-crime through so much. You’re my best friend, my whole world. I love you with all of my heart. I know I’ve said this before, but I don’t ever want a life without you. When you came into my life, you lit up everything in that bar. I wanted more than just Friday nights with you and finally, we got that. Having you as my girlfriend is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, but having you as my wife would be everything to me.”

“So I want to wrap up this whole speech. Tessa Virtue, will you mar—” Scott proudly _starts_ while holding up the ring.

“ _Oh my gosh, shut up! No way!_ ” 

“Yes, way!” Scott nervously laughs, slightly pushing the ring a little further in her sight.

Instead, Tessa turns around and covers her face. “Wow, I’m really surprised. I actually did not see this happening this way. I mean, I figured we would take this next step because obviously we had talked about it but I didn’t expect the proposal.”

Scott sighs and lowers the box. “T, you didn’t gi—”

“First thing we are going to have to do is call our parents. Then we can call everyone to tell them. Kaitlyn and Liz are going to be so excited. I’m going to ask Anna to be a bridesmaid, too.”

“How do I love this woman so much? _Tessa, will you please—”_ Scott at this point is rubbing his temples over his apparent “fiancée” making plans.

“We definitely shouldn’t do something as big as Kaitlyn and Andrew. That was so overwhelming, and I would say not our style. So le—” Tessa rambles on, not even looking at Scott still on one knee on the ground.

“ _Virtch!_ ” Scott stops her, finally getting her to look down, “You never answered me.”

“Oh, you’re right! Wait you have to start over,” Tessa says, getting back into position in front of him. She takes a deep breath before saying, “Okay, I’m ready now, you can continue.”

Scott can’t help but laugh. Smiling, he declares, “Now to continue after your _interruption_ , I want to be with you through all the crazy competitions, school stress, and any future plans you might have. You’re the love of my life, Tessa Virtue. I don’t want to spend another minute without knowing that you might _really_ want a forever with me.”

Grabbing one of her hands, Scott lifts up the box once again. “So what do think, Virtch? Will you marry me?” 

Tessa pulls him up and gives him a lasting kiss. “Yes, of course it’s a yes.”

Scott slips the ring on her left ring finger. He picked something out dainty with a pear cut, just enough to sparkle but not to outshine anything else.

(But when she shows up to school on Monday morning, her students with eagle eyes are going to see it as soon as they walk in.)

“Did you like the proposal? Or at least how it turned out?” Scott asks.

“It’s perfect, exactly what I could ever want.”

_Two years after Kaitlyn and Andrew’s wedding_

The Friday night meet ups don’t happen as often now. All of the friends are settling into their own “adult” lives with families and even more responsibilities. 

Patrick and Liz started their own practice and became professional partners as well. So far, it is going extremely well as all of their old clients followed them to their new firm.

Their first child, Maria Chen, was born two weeks early, wanting to make an entrance. She toddles around the office building while her parents work on legal papers.

After _this_ wedding, they’re going to announce that baby number two is on the way. 

Kaitlyn and Andrew went to Greece for their honeymoon. A month after Scott and Tessa got engaged, they decided to go again for a week. Nine months later, baby Haley came along.

Her “cousin” Maria is absolutely infatuated with her, always wanting to play with the infant. Even if Haley cannot respond much back. 

Layla married a man she met at Kaitlyn and Andrew’s wedding after two months of knowing him. They divorced after three months of marriage due to “growing apart as a couple”. He got the dog and she got the house. In the end, Layla was happier anyway.

Anna started dating this guy from work. They were always too shy to make a move until one day, Anna just asked him out. The rest is history. No longer the single friend, she’s head over heels in love and has the feeling that there might be a proposal soon.

Tessa is still a high school English teacher. Happy in teaching all the literature she can, she grades her essays and oversees the yearbook club. And when she gets swamped with paperwork, her fiancé is there to help.

Scott's team did amazingly well in their Olympic debut. Shocking the rest of the world, the underdogs came from behind and got their best score. The Canadian ice dancers snatched the gold and a win for the country. Surprising themselves but not their coach. He had faith in them, even with their stiff competition. 

Scott and Tessa together is even better. They decided on a July wedding so it wouldn’t interfere with the school year. Tessa _refused_ to take off of school for her honeymoon. 

They wanted something intimate and personal to them. A small wedding of close family and friends...with a big party right afterwards.

Tessa looks in the mirror one last time. Her hair is pinned up loosely with flowers in her hair. Her makeup light to compliment the summertime and engagement ring glittering on her left hand. 

Tessa decided on a completely opposite look from Kaitlyn. Instead of the heavily beaded ball gown, Tessa went for a simple chiffon dress. She wants something light and airy, fitting for her garden wedding. 

“Alright everyone, what how do you think I look?” She twirls around to look at her bridesmaids. 

“Oh, Tess! You look beautiful!”

“Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous, Tessa!”

Showered with compliments, Tessa grins at the women she chose to stand by her side. 

“Alright, everybody. I’m ready.”

They went with a non traditional ceremony space as much as it aggravates their mothers. Scott and Tessa wanted their earlier promise of a wedding with lots of flowers, so the only logical thing to do is to get married in a garden. Lining the aisle are peony arrangements, and an arch decorated with flowers is there at the end of the aisle instead of an altar. It isn’t traditional, perfect, or even really unique. But it is the perfect wedding for Scott and Tessa, that is all they care about.

Tessa straightens her back and takes a deep breath, just waiting for it all to start. Then, the bridal march starts and she starts to walk.

Her eyes roam around the guests for a minute, seeing all of the people who came. There’s old college friends, a cousin her mother forced her to invite, and her closest relatives. Everyone is here for her and Scott.   
  
She looks to the front. Her sister is beaming from her spot as maid of honor. Liz, Anna, and Kaitlyn are tearing up, too.

The groomsmen look handsome as ever. Scott’s brothers wave at her as she gets closer. Patrick gives her a thumbs up and “deep breath” motion. Andrew points to Scott and then fans his face. 

Kaitlyn shoots him a look telling him to “behave” during the ceremony. 

But the most important person at the altar is her fiancé, Scott. He’s waiting at the end, looking nervous, not usually a look she’s seen on him before. But when their eyes meet, his face breaks out into a grin.

When they reach the end of the aisle, her father kisses her cheek and shakes Scott’s hand. “Glad to have you in the family, son,” he tells Scott before heading off to sit with the rest of Tessa’s family.   
  
Facing each other, the couple gets settled before Tessa simply whispers, “Hi.”

Scott chuckles and replies, “Hey. You ready to get married?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

The ceremony goes off without a hitch, no hiccups, just running smoothly. It wasn’t until their personal vows that things get emotional.

“Virtch, well I guess I won’t be able to use that nickname for you anymore. I love you with all my heart and can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you...” Scott continues his vows, making Tessa cry in front of him. 

“Scott, to simply put it, I love you. I promise to love you through all the good times and the bad. It won’t be perfect but it’s our life and that’s the only life I want. One standing by your side...” Tessa blubbers through hers, causing Scott to wipe a tear from her cheek.

They manage to get through the rest of the ceremony without as many tears. Instead, Liz does the crying for them. 

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

Scott takes her in his arms and swoops her down into a passionate kiss. Tessa hears a whistle and cheers through the kiss, as he brings her back up.

Raising an eyebrow at her smirking husband, she says, “I thought we only joked about you doing that.”

He shrugs. “I was in the moment. It felt right. Besides, think of the cool pictures, T!”

Tessa rolls her eyes as they walk down the aisle and wave to all their guests. “I guess I’ll let it slide. You’re lucky I love you.” 

“Well I hope so! Now we’re really stuck together!”

Tessa and Scott opted for an outdoor reception. Underneath fairy lights and the stars, there were a bunch of tables set up with a big dance floor in the middle. Tessa made sure to continue the floral aspect from the ceremony into the reception with floral arrangements everywhere, fresh flowers on the cake, etc.

“Now introducing Mr. and Mrs. Scott Moir!” 

The newlyweds dance into the reception to cheers from their guests. Heading straight for the dance floor to do their first dance, the DJ starts the song they chose.

They sway back and forth, just looking at each other for the first minute until Scott interrupts their silence, “Looks like you’re my dance partner for life, too.”   
  
He twirls her in a grand circle before bringing her back into the hold. Tessa laughs at her husband before snuggling close to him again. “That’s no problem. It’s one of my favorite places to be with you, always will be, Scott.”

“Are you happy, Tess?”

“Insanely happy, you’re the best person that ever came into my life. I can’t wait for the rest of it to start.”

Scott smiles at his bride. He’s been smiling and laughing all day, but he doesn’t care. He’s married to the love of his life and he can’t think of anything else.

“May I now kiss the bride, Mrs. Moir?” Scott asks.

Tessa gives him a smile right back. “I think you should, Mr. Moir.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted it to be pretty sappy and really fluffy. I just figured that these two deserved a really cute ending.
> 
> I really do hope you liked it though! Thank you for reading it!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading everyone! I hope you liked this story and how it turned out. Thank you for all of your comments and kudos, it really means a lot to me!


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